Photo by Erin Nelson.
John Carroll’s Kaitlin Gilchrist hits the ball at the net in a match against Helena at John Carroll Catholic High School in September 2022.
Michael Heard has known from the outset that this will be a season of growth for the John Carroll Catholic High School volleyball team.
That is the nature of the beast when the Cavaliers have a young team and only two seniors leading the charge. But despite youth and inexperience, there is plenty of talent and potential on the roster.
How quickly that growth comes will determine how far the Cavs go this fall.
“We started off a little slow [in the summer] with so many new faces, because it takes some getting used to,” said Heard, the John Carroll head coach. “But we progressed every single week. I’ve been pleased with the progression of the team.”
Seniors Kaitlin Gilchrist and Meredith Davis know the ropes of the program and are well-versed with Heard’s expectations on a day-to-day basis. They say the team has worked really hard over the summer and showed flashes in some of the power league matches at Hoover.
“The last couple days of power league, we realized how much potential we have,” Davis said.
Now, it will be a matter of putting that all together at some point during the season.
“One of the biggest needs for each of our players to accept is to strive for incremental increases in different parts of our game,” Heard said. “Accept all the steps it takes to get there. If my group can stay on that trajectory and believe in themselves and the team and know that we have to accomplish so many short-term goals to reach our long-term goals, the sky is the limit.”
Gilchrist will be a prime example of that, even as a senior. After playing in the middle for so many years, she will shift to the outside and be a hitter this fall, along with playing all six rotations.
Davis will command the back row as the team’s libero and is a leader in the locker room, according to Heard.
“We really want this season to be a lot of run,” Gilchrist said.
John Carroll also has a pair of juniors in Victoria Ryan and Sienna Massa. Ryan is a middle hitter coming off an injury. Heard lauded her athleticism and believes her potential as a volleyball player is far higher than she realizes. Massa is a defensive specialist who also brings plenty of intangible values to the floor.
There are five sophomores on varsity this year. Mady Kirkpatrick got varsity action last fall and is growing into a strong outside hitter.
“She can make plays a lot of others can’t, because of how quick she is,” Heard said.
Marion Haskell is a left-handed hitter on the right side, who stands 6 feet tall and can put the ball down at a high level. Izzy Marino is stepping into the setter role, and Heard commended her for how much she has improved in a short period.
Anni McCarthy will be a middle hitter and Allie Hedrick is a setter as well.
Olivia Sapalaran and Ella Hale are freshmen that will also contribute this year.
John Carroll has a tall task to advance past an area that includes Briarwood, Helena and Pelham. But the Cavs have made that their primary goal and will work toward those area matches all season. Outside of area play, the Cavs will play in tournaments in Montgomery, Hartselle, Hoover and Tuscaloosa. In regular season action, they will see the likes of
Homewood, Tuscaloosa County, Oak Mountain and Gardendale.
