When it comes to high school sports, East Knox volleyball coach Kelsey Walters sees the experience as an opportunity for personal and athletic growth. A key ingredient in the mix is to recognize that progress is more important than perfection for teen student-athletes.
The Bulldogs were 9-12 overall, 2-8 in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference (KMAC) last year, and Walters said that represents an improvement over previous season finishes. She is looking for the team to continue moving in that direction.
“(We had) a lot of individual and team growth last year, had a better record than the past years at 9-12, and we beat Danville both times in conference play, which is something East Knox hasn’t done before, and it was big for the community,” Walters said.
“I also like to say, ‘I want progress instead of perfection,’ because we are still building this program, and perfection is a long road we have to work toward,” she added.
Coming off a 9-12 record, the Bulldogs can boast of a couple of KMAC stars, with Sydney Biggs earning second-team All-KMAC honors, while Gracie Sheasby was an honorable mention selection.
“I am counting on Sydney Opfer (junior) to lead and step up this year in her role as an offensive weapon,” Walters said. “The most improved from last year to this year is Hiba Ezzarouali (senior), defensive specialist.”
Last year’s successes give East Knox “some highs to build on,” and Walters, in her second year at East Knox and with six years of overall coaching experience, said she would like to see the team be more aggressive in hitting and serving the ball.
The Bulldogs – though Walters borrows from the University of Georgia to lead the charge for “Go Dawgs” as a team chant – try to implement a smart offense complemented by a scrappy defense as they aim “to catch the opponent off guard.”
In keeping with her progress vs. perfection approach, she said she’d like to see the team improve on last year’s record.
“My varsity team is going to be young this year, and the girls are going to have to work extra hard and be intentional to see the results we want,” Walters said.
With some lessons from last year, though, she thinks they have a good chance of meeting those expectations.
“What I lost last year was a group of seniors that was able to keep pushing and never giving up,” Walters said. “What I gained last year was the ability to change the mindset of these girls from thinking they were going to lose every match to being able to have the opportunity to compete every match.”
The 'Dawgs start their season Monday, Aug. 21, at Utica at 7 p.m.
