Marble Falls volleyball announces varsity members

CAPTION: Senior Kenadi Dalton is a returning letterman. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

After two grueling days of tryouts where members of the Marble Falls High School volleyball program were challenged physically and mentally, head coach Zoey Beard-Hanrahan announced who made the varsity.

The team includes seniors Tessie Mayes Bowen, Kenadi Dalton, Payton Dunk, Kate Dykes, Kate McCary and Lily Stein, juniors Vivian Buerger, Adrianna Dekay, Britney Guevara, Delilah Guzman, Amaris Mitchell-Ochoa, Alyssa Terrell and Hannah Welch, and sophomore Brighton Bernard.

“There’s a lot of talent on this team,” said Beard-Hanrahan, who is entering her first year at the helm.

Most of the seniors are returning lettermen. Dalton and Dunk aspire to play college volleyball.

“I’m very excited about this senior class,” the coach said. “They all know each other really well, they have good relationships with the girls on the team. They have such great rapport with one another.”

Few players have the joy of being on the court quite like Dalton. She was smiling throughout drill work and had a business-like attitude when it came to defensive drills. She may play the team’s libero this season.

“You can see the passion she has for the sport,” Beard-Hanrahan said. “She’s a great kid and she knows the sport well and helps keep the team moving.”

Beard-Hanrahan has told the seniors it’s their job to get the program to the place they want it to go and bring the other players with them.

Buerger and Dekay are move-ins. Buerger is originally from New Jersey, while Dekay is from Georgetown. Buerger, Dunk, Dykes and Mitchell-Ochoa are listed as middle blockers. Beard-Hanrahan, who played that position at Angelo State University, has specific qualities she is looking for from that position and believes those players can deliver them.

Meanwhile Bowen, Stein and Welch are the setters. The rest of the team members are either hitters or defensive specialists. And each Lady Mustang will have a role that she fills to contribute to the overall success, the coach said.

Beard-Hanrahan set the tone of the tryouts immediately. After stretching the players went to baselines to run lines that were timed. For those who attended Forge summer strength and conditioning, they may have broken a sweat. Beard-Hanrahan noted others weren’t in shape yet, but that’ll change quickly.

The coach commended the players during the two-day tryouts, emphasizing they didn’t make it easy for her or the coaches to make decisions. That said, she believes the underclassmen who will play on the subvarsities will get invaluable court time and continue to grow and develop while enjoying success.

“Taylor Brydon is a kid who is so good,” she said. “She has the ability to play on varsity. But she’s not coming off the court while playing on the JV. I’ll graduate six seniors, so I want those sophomores ready.”

She noted the freshmen gave their best, too, and believes they will be solid contributors for years to come.

“It’s a new program, and we are starting a new leaf,” the coach said. “There’s a change in this program. When was the last time this school went to the playoffs? In 2009. There needs to be a change. I need to see if they have the fight in them. I think they do. They have skill. We have to find a way to come together and set a goal.”