Three local teams to compete in Volleyfest
October 2, 2019
Vinnie Roberts
This weekend, one of the oldest volleyball tournaments in the area will be underway. Southwest’s 36th annual Volleyfest begins on Saturday, October 5. The tournament will feature three teams from Barry County, Southwest, Wheaton and
Exeter, all vying for bragging rights over the other.
The first of these teams is hosting school Southwest High. Southwest is coming into the tournament with a record of 2-15 after a loss against Billings on Monday, September 30.
According to Southwest volleyball coach Steve Voyak, this team’s biggest obstacle so far is their lack of experience.
“We’ve struggled this year," said Voyak. "I’ve got a young team and a couple of girls coming back off of injuries from last year. "
Voyak remains confident in his team's ability to compete, mostly due to their level of enthusiasm for the sport.
“Right now, our biggest strengths are our energy and our want to get better," explained Voyak. "The kids don’t come in down-trodden to practice. They want to come in and do better and learn the fundamentals. For a team that has so few wins this point in the season, we’re working really hard still.
“Usually, when you’re struggling, tempers are short and the attitudes flare. We haven’t had that this year. They come in every day with a positive attitude.”
The tournament’s strongest Barry County contender is the Wheaton team, coached by Robert Creekmore.
Creekmore’s team has a solid start to this year’s season, currently boasting an 11-4 record after a win against Galena on
Tuesday, October 1.
According to Creekmore, Wheaton’s strengths lie with their aggressive serving and the hardiness of their defense.
Leading that aggressive offense is Madison Pierpont, who has managed to chalk up a total of 36 aces this season, with a 92.1 percent success rate on serves. Trailing close behind her is Nene Nunez, who has managed to chalk up an impressive 21 aces with a 91.6 percent success rate on serves.
Leading the Wheaton Defense is Monica Hinojosa who has an astonishing 87 kills this season. She’s followed closely by Allie Reed with 62 kills for the season.
Overall, Creekmore commented that he believes that his team’s greatest weakness is their integration as a team. Only two starting players from Wheaton’s 2018 returned to the team this year with the other returning players either having graduated or been a part of the junior varsity or second string.
“Integration is an issue with us,” said Creekmore. “We’re really working on adjusting everyone’s speed and having them gel together as a group. We’re halfway through the season, though. They’ve really come along since it began.”
The final Barry County team entering in the Volleyfest is Exeter High School. According to MSHSAA statistics, Exeter has opened this season with an 0-11 losing streak.
The coach of the Exeter High volleyball team could not be reached for comment at the time of this publication.
Southwest High’s 36th annual Volleyfest kicks off on Saturday, October 5, in the Southwest High School gym. The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. with the first round seeing host school Southwest take on Crane’s volleyball team. At the same time, Wheaton High will play Exeter on another court in the same gym.
For any questions regarding Volleyfest, contact Southwest High School at (417) 826-5413.
Vinnie Roberts
This weekend, one of the oldest volleyball tournaments in the area will be underway. Southwest’s 36th annual Volleyfest begins on Saturday, October 5. The tournament will feature three teams from Barry County, Southwest, Wheaton and
Exeter, all vying for bragging rights over the other.
The first of these teams is hosting school Southwest High. Southwest is coming into the tournament with a record of 2-15 after a loss against Billings on Monday, September 30.
According to Southwest volleyball coach Steve Voyak, this team’s biggest obstacle so far is their lack of experience.
“We’ve struggled this year," said Voyak. "I’ve got a young team and a couple of girls coming back off of injuries from last year. "
Voyak remains confident in his team's ability to compete, mostly due to their level of enthusiasm for the sport.
“Right now, our biggest strengths are our energy and our want to get better," explained Voyak. "The kids don’t come in down-trodden to practice. They want to come in and do better and learn the fundamentals. For a team that has so few wins this point in the season, we’re working really hard still.
“Usually, when you’re struggling, tempers are short and the attitudes flare. We haven’t had that this year. They come in every day with a positive attitude.”
The tournament’s strongest Barry County contender is the Wheaton team, coached by Robert Creekmore.
Creekmore’s team has a solid start to this year’s season, currently boasting an 11-4 record after a win against Galena on
Tuesday, October 1.
According to Creekmore, Wheaton’s strengths lie with their aggressive serving and the hardiness of their defense.
Leading that aggressive offense is Madison Pierpont, who has managed to chalk up a total of 36 aces this season, with a 92.1 percent success rate on serves. Trailing close behind her is Nene Nunez, who has managed to chalk up an impressive 21 aces with a 91.6 percent success rate on serves.
Leading the Wheaton Defense is Monica Hinojosa who has an astonishing 87 kills this season. She’s followed closely by Allie Reed with 62 kills for the season.
Overall, Creekmore commented that he believes that his team’s greatest weakness is their integration as a team. Only two starting players from Wheaton’s 2018 returned to the team this year with the other returning players either having graduated or been a part of the junior varsity or second string.
“Integration is an issue with us,” said Creekmore. “We’re really working on adjusting everyone’s speed and having them gel together as a group. We’re halfway through the season, though. They’ve really come along since it began.”
The final Barry County team entering in the Volleyfest is Exeter High School. According to MSHSAA statistics, Exeter has opened this season with an 0-11 losing streak.
The coach of the Exeter High volleyball team could not be reached for comment at the time of this publication.
Southwest High’s 36th annual Volleyfest kicks off on Saturday, October 5, in the Southwest High School gym. The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. with the first round seeing host school Southwest take on Crane’s volleyball team. At the same time, Wheaton High will play Exeter on another court in the same gym.
For any questions regarding Volleyfest, contact Southwest High School at (417) 826-5413.
