Lady Panthers Volleyball Preview: Experienced Roster Returns

The Glennallen volleyball team will have head coach Kelsey Stanbro back for her fourth year leading the program. The Lady Panthers had a mixed bag when it came to results last year. While they were able to win regionals it wasn’t a perfect season by any means.

“Last year didn't go how we envisioned it going,” Stanbro said. “We weren't able to keep a consistent rotation on the floor because of external factors and had to change lineups often, putting players in positions they weren't comfortable in. While we won regionals, we didn't have a strong showing at states missing key players that weekend. This year we are looking for depth in players when making our lineups and choosing who will be subs. We want players that are versatile and can play several positions.”

A major boost for the Panthers is that they’ll return their entire starting line-up from last year.

“That’s going to be a huge advantage for us this year,” Stanbro said. 

Coming back from last year with significant experience will be seniors Koina Cooley (outside hitter, all-tournament regional team), Francesca Ranck (outside hitter, opposite), Rene Rock-Albert (outside hitter, middle blocker, all-tournament regional team), Lala Stone (middle blocker, opposite, all-tournament regional team), Matilda Carlton (defensive specialist), junior Carrie Miller (middle blocker, outside hitter, all-tournament regions team) and sophomores Preslyn Thompson (defensive specialist), Chloe Palacious (libero) and Gracie Kvamme (setter). 

“Having eight players from last year’s starting lineup return makes it more challenging for our upcoming players to earn a spot on the varsity team,” Stanbro said. “Several players will be closely watched as swing players, competing for opportunities on both JV and varsity…We can take 12 players to regionals and state so we're looking to fill those 12 spots by the end of the season.”

Players looking for expanded roles this year will be senior Matilda Carlton (defensive specialist) and freshmen Natalie Stockhausen (setter, defensive specialist), Joelle Scribner (middle blocker), Niya Korth (setter, outside hitter) and Autumn Riley (outside hitter). 

“My early thoughts on this year’s team are very positive,” Stanbro said. “We are a scrappy group, and we hustle for every ball. We’re already seeing some great plays in practice, and the energy in the gym has been high, which is especially important in volleyball. Overall, I like the makeup of this team. We have experience, new energy, strong defensive play, and players who are willing to work. If we continue to compete and push each other the way we have been in practice, I think we have the potential to be a really fun team to watch.”

With so much experience and so much talent on the team this year, Stanbro is quite optimistic about what her team can accomplish this season.

“I think the ceiling for this team is high,” she said. “We have a good combination of returning experience, athleticism, depth, and younger players who are eager to prove themselves. With 15 players, practices are competitive, and that competition is pushing everyone to improve. The biggest key will be our consistency and putting the ball away faster. We have a lot of experience in the returning players. If our younger players continue to develop and our returning players continue to lead and push everyone around them, I believe this team has the potential to make a deep postseason run.”

Glennallen opens the season Sept. 24-to-27 at the Cordova Copper River Rally. They also have a home match with Nenana on Oct. 1 and they host their home tournament on Oct. 2-3. 

“Even though we have a lot of experience returning from last year’s starting lineup, I’m looking to use these first few tournaments to refine our lineup and figure out where our incoming players can fit at the varsity level and give us an even stronger competitive edge,” Stanbro said. 

“We’ve been experimenting with different lineups in practice, and I expect to use several different combinations throughout the Cordova tournament. It’s important that we find the right combinations early so we can build consistency as the season progresses. Overall, these first few weeks are going to be about evaluating, competing, and improving. We want to find the right lineup, build team chemistry, and learn what we need to do to compete at our highest level when the most important matches arrive.”