Faith Academy volleyball’s leaders are getting the job done

CAPTION: Sophomore Ella Claiborne rarely exits the floor and is among the Lady Flames’ leaders or ranks in the top three of most categories, including digs. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls volleyball team continues to show it has what it takes to accomplish its goals this season.

The Lady Flames (7-2) went 3-2 at the Hill Country Christian School Tournament Aug. 21-22 thanks to wins against the Boerne Area HomeSchoolers 25-16, 25-13, Bulverde Bracken 25-21, 25-15 and Galveston O’Connell 25-12, 25-20. The losses were to New Braunfels Thunder Homeschool 14-25, 16-25 and to New Braunfels Christian Academy 21-25, 19-25.

Add in the five-set win against San Marcos Hill Country, an opponent that beat Faith twice a year ago, and it’s easy to see why head coach Erin Sawyer sees plenty of positives from her squad.

“I attribute the good start to dedication and how we work together as a team,” she said.

No Lady Flame is having a better offensive start than sophomore outside hitter Ella Claiborne. Last year, she had a total of 171 kills in 37 matches. This year she already has 74 kills thanks to averaging just under four per set, which leads the team. Her kill percentage is at 40.4. She also leads in aces with 35 this season, twice the number of her teammates, and has 41 digs, which ranks third on the squad.

Junior hitter Kerrington Silvers has 42 kills to rank second on the team.

Senior middle blockers Natalie Weems and Miley Fessler are roaming the front row and helping to set blocks that force opponents to adjust to them. While Weems has 34 kills and Fessler has 26, they are Nos. 1 and 2 in blocks. Weems has 13 and Fessler has nine.

Weems’, who is a four-year letterman, contributions are well documented. Fessler’s emergence during her final year of being a high school student is especially impressive given that she decided to play the sport this year.

Meanwhile senior libero Bosley Kuker is anchoring the back row like a true veteran. She is the team leader in serve-receive with 126, averaging 5.7 per set, and digs with 86 digs for an average of 3.9 per set.

Her ability to get the ball to setters Ella Chavira, a junior, and Olivia Kraenzel, a sophomore, is crucial because that’s what gets the offense started.

None of these stat leaders are a surprise to Sawyer, who has emphasized that every Lady Flame brings something unique to the team and all are invaluable to the squad’s success.

“Yes, they are doing a good job,” she said. “I help them achieve this by what I call ‘court IQ’ –  knowing where to hit and tip as well as reading the ball and communicating.” 

And though the tournament didn’t have the ending the Lady Flames wanted, the coach believes it did help them discover they are capable of so much more, the coach said.

“The tournament helped the girls realize that they can make plays that they never realized they could,” she said. “They played scrappy and had intensity. We will continue to work on making it consistent.”

The Lady Flames welcome Georgetown Grace Academy Thursday, Aug. 28, with the junior varsity playing at 4 p.m. and the varsity playing at 6 p.m.

They travel to play in the Fraulein Volleyball Fest hosted by New Braunfels St. Paul Catholic Friday and Saturday, Aug. 29-30.

Faith faces Bulverde Gloria Deo at 8:30 a.m., the host team at 11:30 a.m. and San Antonio Providence Classic at 2:30 p.m. all on Friday and San Antonio Davinci at 10:30 a.m. and the St. Paul junior varsity at noon, both on Saturday.

CAPTION: Junior hitter Kerrington Silvers comes through when the ball comes her way, forcing opponents to account for her presence. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro