Photo by Erin Nelson.
Homewood’s Kam Coleman (12) sets up the ball in a match against Chelsea at Homewood High School on Aug. 29.
The Homewood High School volleyball team is relying on players of all ages this fall. The Patriots are not necessarily dominated by one class, but instead get contributions across the board.
There are the typical seniors, like Carson Jarmon and Liz Cleland, leading the team in various ways. There are plenty of juniors and even a few sophomores providing production.
But there is a ninth grader who has stood out, so much so that she bypassed coach Olivia Moody’s freshman team and is a varsity starter.
Kam Coleman has been the Patriots’ primary setter this fall, giving Homewood a steady hand running the offense. She said the team has embraced her presence and made her feel like part of the group.
“She’s come in and done an outstanding job,” Homewood varsity coach Andie Freedman said. “She’s not playing like a freshman by any means. I think that’s really apparent in how she interacts with the team. They don’t really view her as a freshman, just a valued member of the team.”
Coleman takes her new role in stride, much like she does everything else.
“On my other teams, I start at setter, so it’s not much different,” she said.
Coleman said the key to being a strong setter is being able to communicate with the hitters and know what types of sets each one prefers and excels with. She has played volleyball for about seven years, but also plays basketball at Homewood.
Coleman said she most enjoys the team aspect that both sports provide.
Freedman recognized Coleman’s work ethic and heart in helping her get to this point so quickly. Coleman is already contributing so much to the team, that it’s encouraging to Freedman that she still has room to grow.
“We want to see her become more vocal and get out of her shell a little bit,” Freedman said. “But she’s a competitor at the end of the day.”
“I really don’t like to talk that much,” Coleman admitted. “If I continue, though, I’ll be more talkative and be able to tell people where they should go.”
Homewood’s schedule has had no shortage of layups on it over the first six weeks of the season. The Patriots have challenged themselves with many of the best teams in the area and the state, and sometimes beyond that. It’s all in an effort to be adequately prepared for the stretch run of the season.
The team has also dealt with some adversity in the manner of injuries and sickness. While that has been challenging, it has provided opportunities for some other players to step into key roles and make an impact.
“They’ve been getting a lot done and they’ve been getting really good,” Coleman said of her teammates.
In October, the Patriots will finish up area play and host the annual Margaret Blalock Tournament. They have stated goals of winning the area, advancing to the North Regional and hopefully getting a chance to play in the state tournament.
“We’ve still got a lot of great matches ahead of us and teams that will challenge us,”
Freedman said. “We play a tough schedule so that we’re challenged and ready to peak at the right time.”
