With an infusion of talent, Fayetteville Christian volleyball has heightened expectations
Rodd Baxley
It’s not hard to spot the Fayetteville Christian volleyball team.
Of the nine players that were on the court for practice Wednesday afternoon, five stand at 5-foot-8 or taller.
Junior captains Emma Webster and Katie Weber are a part of that towering lineup, along with seniors Emma Myers and Savannah Bowlus, and freshman Ryleigh Holt.
“I think we’ve been able to capitalize on the size of our players pretty well. We have four new players that moved in and we’ve only got nine players on the roster,” said first-year coach Aaron Wilson, whose Warriors are off to a 4-1 start with a 2-0 record in the NCISAA Sandhills Conference.
“It’s pretty much a new team, even though some of them have played together. We’re just getting that chemistry going and flowing as a unit. Once we get that, I think it’ll be even more successful.”
Webster, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, had 10 kills Monday night in Fayetteville Christian’s win against Village Christian.
“I don’t really get intimidated by much, but I feel like I’m pretty tall. … It’s a big advantage because height is a big factor in volleyball,” Webster said.
“We haven’t won state in a while, or even the conference, so first we want to win the conference and then see how far we can make it in states. We’ve not always been the best. I feel like this is the best we’ve been since I’ve been here.”
The 5-foot-9 Weber had 10 assists against the Knights but she’s also well aware of the team’s height advantage.
“I’ve seen taller girls, but it is really nice to have an extra couple inches. It helps me get on top of the ball more, but we have shorter girls who can jump just as high,” Weber said.
“Like Hannah (Wilson), she can jump just as high. But it is a nice advantage.”
Hannah Wilson, who had a team-best 20 assists in Monday’s match, has the leaping ability to rise above the net but she’s become accustomed to setting up her taller teammates.
“It’s really nice to set up people who can run the plays and put (the ball) down,” she said with a smile.
Aaron Wilson described each of his three captains as “very athletic, very skilled players” who have taken advantage of their year-round opportunities on the volleyball court.
“They’ve got experience with each other and they just love volleyball, that’s the main thing,” he said.
After posting a losing record in two of the last three seasons, Weber is hopeful the new-look Warriors can rise to the top under Wilson, who led Freedom Christian to a 10-4 record in the 2020-21 season that included a first-place finish in the Sandhills.
“I started at FCS in the fifth grade, so I’ve been here for a while,” Weber said. “We’ve never been super great — we’ve kind of been mediocre — but seeing this team come together, I love it. I love my team.”
Even with the infusion of height and heightened expectations, Aaron Wilson and his players remain committed to the daily grind and process of getting better every day.
“I think we’ve got a lot of potential. I think we were on our way to where we wanted to be and then we had a two-week (COVID-19 related) shutdown,” he said.
“We’re trying to knock the rust off of that, but it’s a great group of girls. Hopefully we can reach that potential so they can be happy with how the season turns out.”
Rodd Baxley
It’s not hard to spot the Fayetteville Christian volleyball team.
Of the nine players that were on the court for practice Wednesday afternoon, five stand at 5-foot-8 or taller.
Junior captains Emma Webster and Katie Weber are a part of that towering lineup, along with seniors Emma Myers and Savannah Bowlus, and freshman Ryleigh Holt.
“I think we’ve been able to capitalize on the size of our players pretty well. We have four new players that moved in and we’ve only got nine players on the roster,” said first-year coach Aaron Wilson, whose Warriors are off to a 4-1 start with a 2-0 record in the NCISAA Sandhills Conference.
“It’s pretty much a new team, even though some of them have played together. We’re just getting that chemistry going and flowing as a unit. Once we get that, I think it’ll be even more successful.”
Webster, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, had 10 kills Monday night in Fayetteville Christian’s win against Village Christian.
“I don’t really get intimidated by much, but I feel like I’m pretty tall. … It’s a big advantage because height is a big factor in volleyball,” Webster said.
“We haven’t won state in a while, or even the conference, so first we want to win the conference and then see how far we can make it in states. We’ve not always been the best. I feel like this is the best we’ve been since I’ve been here.”
The 5-foot-9 Weber had 10 assists against the Knights but she’s also well aware of the team’s height advantage.
“I’ve seen taller girls, but it is really nice to have an extra couple inches. It helps me get on top of the ball more, but we have shorter girls who can jump just as high,” Weber said.
“Like Hannah (Wilson), she can jump just as high. But it is a nice advantage.”
Hannah Wilson, who had a team-best 20 assists in Monday’s match, has the leaping ability to rise above the net but she’s become accustomed to setting up her taller teammates.
“It’s really nice to set up people who can run the plays and put (the ball) down,” she said with a smile.
Aaron Wilson described each of his three captains as “very athletic, very skilled players” who have taken advantage of their year-round opportunities on the volleyball court.
“They’ve got experience with each other and they just love volleyball, that’s the main thing,” he said.
After posting a losing record in two of the last three seasons, Weber is hopeful the new-look Warriors can rise to the top under Wilson, who led Freedom Christian to a 10-4 record in the 2020-21 season that included a first-place finish in the Sandhills.
“I started at FCS in the fifth grade, so I’ve been here for a while,” Weber said. “We’ve never been super great — we’ve kind of been mediocre — but seeing this team come together, I love it. I love my team.”
Even with the infusion of height and heightened expectations, Aaron Wilson and his players remain committed to the daily grind and process of getting better every day.
“I think we’ve got a lot of potential. I think we were on our way to where we wanted to be and then we had a two-week (COVID-19 related) shutdown,” he said.
“We’re trying to knock the rust off of that, but it’s a great group of girls. Hopefully we can reach that potential so they can be happy with how the season turns out.”
