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Photo by Erin Nelson.
John Carroll’s Helen Macher (3) passes the ball in a matchup against Briarwood at John Carroll Catholic High School in September 2021.
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Photo by Erin Nelson. Starnes Media
John Carroll’s Helen Macher (3) sets the ball up as Morgan Scott (4) moves in for the spike in a matchup against Briarwood at John Carroll Catholic High School on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Photo by Erin Nelson.
There’s something different about the aura of the John Carroll Catholic High School volleyball team this fall.
In 2020, the Cavaliers surprised many by making it to the state tournament. But last fall, coming up one win shy of a return to state left this group of seniors hungry for more.
Maria Groover, Stella Yester, Helen Macher, Hope Lacy and Piper Metcalf are the five seniors at John Carroll this season. When asked what can set their team over the top this year, they mentioned trust, chemistry, communication and the desire to leave a legacy.
What head coach Michael Heard saw from them in the summer has done nothing to dissuade him from the belief that his team is ready to achieve its goals. The Cavs competed well in the summer league as Heard evaluated his team.
“When I take a team to power league, I don’t do a lot of coaching,” He said. “I set lineups and that sort of thing, but I want to see what they’ve got. We had one or two matches that we struggled, but the other nine that we played, we either won or were right there against some good teams.”
The goals for John Carroll are progressive. Heard said the primary goal is to advance out of Class 6A, Area 8, which will be no small feat this year. The Cavs are competing against Pelham, Helena and Briarwood in hopes of advancing to the regional tournament. Beyond that, John Carroll hopes to win two matches to get back to that state tournament.
On the court, John Carroll emphasizes first ball contact and offensive production and creativity at the net.
“If we can do both of those things, we can hang with anybody,” Heard said.
All five seniors are entering at least their third season on the varsity team, so the top end of the Cavs roster is quite experienced.
“We’ve got a good foundation. I feel like our high end is a little bit higher than last year, if we stay healthy,” Heard said.
Groover is entering her fifth year on varsity. She is one of John Carroll’s primary serve receivers and is a great defensive player. Yester is the team’s primary libero, entering her fourth year on varsity. She is a sound leader capable of holding other teammates accountable.
Macher is the team’s main setter and brings a calming effect to the lineup. Lacy is a right side hitter and is consistently elevating her game. Metcalf is an outside hitter and a defensive specialist and is working to earn spots all the way around.
As far as juniors go, Poppy Moellering is a 6-foot middle who will be tasked with racking up kills throughout the season. She is also hoping to earn more playing time on the back row. Kaitlin Gilchrist plays in the middle and on the right side, Meredith Davis is a setter and defensive specialist and Taylor Beard is an outside hitter.
Defensive specialist Sienna Massa, middle hitter Victoria Ryan and freshman Mady Kirkpatrick will also contribute this fall.
After opening the season with a matchup against Homewood at Samford University’s Pete Hanna Center, the Cavs play in several top-notch tournaments. Throughout the season, John Carroll also plays the likes of Oak Mountain, Pelham, Thompson, Briarwood, Chelsea, Northridge and Helena.
