Park Hill South returned to the state playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in more than a decade last year.
Now, coach Karen Rule will try to make it three years in a row in the Class 4 volleyball playoffs and is chasing a bit of history along the way. MSHSAA online records shows the Panthers made the playoffs from 2002 to 2006. The season ended with a loss to St. Theresa’s Academy for the second year in a row, this time in the sectionals — one season after falling the Kansas City school in the quarterfinals.
The Panthers will return three starters from a team that went 24-6-2 last season but will have a big piece to replace in the middle with the departure of Annika Welty.
The Creighton freshman was a third-team Under Armour All-American, which added to a postseason list that included all-conference, all-district, all-region, all-state as well as being the winner of the Evelyn Gates Award — given to the top volleyball player in the Kansas City metro region.
While Welty departs, the cupboard still has some players that were solid last year for the Panthers, the Suburban Conference Red Division co-champions.
Senior middle/outside hitter Michelle Dvorak was a first-team all-conference and second-team all-district pick, while classmate Kacy Lewallen was a first-team all-district and second-team all-conference selection as a defensive specialist. Those two players saw limited playing time on the 2016 playoffs squad as underclassmen.
Rachel Francis, Arley Anderson and Abbie Day earned second-team all-conference honors at middle hitter for the Panthers, while Adah Anderson was an honorable mention selection.
Dvorak was second on the team in kills with 147 and 48 blocks, behind Welty in both categories. Lewallen was first in digs with 289, while finishing second in assists with 79. Day was second with 239 digs and Adah Anderson had 212, followed by Arley Anderson with 192 — who had a team-high 429 assists. Day came in second in aces with 23 and added 96 kills, third on the team.
Freshman Alex Dvorak is expected to earn a role on varsity.
“We may have lost a huge part of our offense in Annike Welty, but I feel kids are stepping up,” said Rule, who is 103-25-7 at Park Hill South and has a career record of 237-88-10. “Every year is a new year. We may look different, but the goals are still the same. Debbie Fay and all the players who have played for South built a program rich in tradition. We have continued to set that standard high. The people and players are part of the program take pride in what was built before them and work hard to leave a standard of excellence behind for the future to come.”
The conference race this year will include two new faces in Lee’s Summit — down from the Gold Division — and Staley, which is coming up from the White Division. Lee’s Summit and Park Hill South met in the 2016 playoffs.
File photo
Abby Day goes up for a kill attempt in a game last year for Park Hill South.