IAC VOLLEYBALL: NEW WAVERLY COACH LOOKING TO BUILD FOR THE FUTURE (2021-03-19)
By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportWAVERLY "” After 10 years as the junior varsity coach, Charity Meyers has taken over as Waverly's varsity volleyball coach, and despite the program's recent success, she's looking to the future.
She replaces Kesha Sinsabaugh, who directed the Lady Wolverines to their first-ever Section IV title in 2018, then back to the title game again in 2019.
"I'm doing a few things a little differently," said Meyers. "We're definitely looking at the future, looking to build the program from the bottom up. We're looking to get the Rec. program going again as soon as we're able to.
"We're going to try to recruit more, get out there in the school and bring volleyball in front of the girls," she added.
Meyers, who knew she was taking over the program prior to the end of last season when Sinsabaugh announced her retirement, saw her first offseason end prematurely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We were in our travel season, and we had quite a few players involved. We had to end the season early," said Meyers. "And the camps we had set up, we couldn't do any of them.
"I had been working with (Elmira College women's coach) Dan (Miranda) and Patty Perrone and some other people, looking to get them involved with the kids ... I was really excited about it, and we couldn't do any of that," she added.
With no Section IV postseason, Meyers will approach the season in much the same fashion she did as JV coach.
"I'm use to it. The furthest we could go in JVs was the IAC Championship, and that's going to be the same for the varsity this year.
"We would have liked to have shown how far we could go, and have that opportunity, but at least we're able to play," said Meyers. "We're excited to be here, and to have a season."
Meyers said the 2021 season will serves as a building year.
"We're young, and we'll use this year as a building year toward next year," she said. "I think the girls getting this experience, and then paying again in the fall, so close together, is going to be good for us.
"We're just going to keep it going into travel ball, camps, open gyms - anything we can do to keep the girls touching a ball," added Meyers. "We'll just keep it going right into the fall."
Meyers said the Lady Wolverine youth movement begins this year.
"We have a younger team, and with Covid, we had three players who did not end up playing this year," she said.
"We brought up four 8th-graders - three to the JVs and one to varsity, and also one 7th-grader to JVs," noted Meyers. "We only have one returning player on JVs. We had to bring up a lot, so they are a very young group."
Morgan Lynch, who was the JV coach at S-VE the last two years, will serve as Meyers' JV coach.
"I'm super-excited to have her with me, she has been my right hand," said Meyers.
Junior Aryan Peters will start at setter for the Lady Wolverines this season after spending last year as libero.
"We've moved Aryan Peters from libero to setter, and I think it really works with her," said Meyers.
Junior Sydney Nierstedt has moved up from the JV ranks and will start at middle hitter, along with returning starter senior Sidney Tomasso.
"Sidney is our natural athlete," said Meyers. "Last year was her first year, but Sidney picks things up really quick."
Senior Caitlyn Bakley returns at right-side hitter, while senior Emilee Little returns, and junior Aubrey Ennis is up from JVs at outside hitters
Sophomore newcomer Michael Lauper will be libero, while freshman Peighton Streeter and junior Taylor Hall are defensive specialists, and Liz Goodman will vie for time at outside hitter.
Eighth-grader Lillie Kirk will also vie for time at outside hitter.
"Lillie (Kirk) is amazing player," said Meyers. "She plays for me on travel team. She was playing on the 16U team as a 7th-grader ... I think she will impress everybody with what she can do."
Despite its youth, Meyers has been impressed with her team's chemistry.
"This team works so well together," she said. "I know we've had a lot of time off, but they are all coming together. The attitude they've shown has been so positive. They have stuck together and really boosted each other up.
"I really thought in our game against Watkins Glen, the girls came together, and played very well together," Meyers added.
Her team's youth, and the lack of preparation time for the season are concerns for Meyers heading into the season.
"We are young, so that's a little concerning, but our conditioning may be my biggest concern," she said. "With everything going on, we couldn't do conditioning at the beginning of the season. We had to go right into drills, so I could see us getting a bit tired; that does worry me a little bit."
SCHEDULEWaverly has 11 games on its schedule, including three apiece against Watkins Glen, Thomas A. Edison, and Newark Valley.
"We're playing the same three schools, so I set up a match against Horseheads and a match against Elmira," said Meyers. "I know they're out of our division, but I believe this will challenge our girls, and we can learn a lot being out on the floor against a (Class) AA school like Horseheads."
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IN PHOTO: Waverly coach Charity Meyers. ... PHOTO BY DAVID ALLIGER - TRAVELING PORTRAITS.
