There is a lot of excitement coming from the Demons on the volleyball court despite the drop off they saw from 2017 to 2018. For 2019, the Demons are only looking up, with almost their entire team returning from last year, and only looking to fill a few spots with names already beginning to fill those holes.
Lets first take a look at who the Demons are going to need to replace. The first of the graduating seniors to look at has to be Caitie Lockett. The senior led the Demons in kills in 2018, coming four shy of 200 on the season, and was also third on the team in hitting percentage while also having over 140 more attempts than the next closest on the team. Needless to say, it is easy to see why Lockett is continuing her career on the road in Kansas for Cowley College and the Tigers.
The other two graduating seniors didn’t make a major difference on the attack for the Demons, but Corina Barr and Rausee Johnson were number one and three on the team in digs for 2018, and the defense in the back row will need to find faces to replace them and the nearly 400 digs they made over the course of the season.
On the defensive end, it does look like Mady Atha will be continuing as one of the defensive specialists for the Demons, or possibly moving into the libero position. Also, with a full year under the belt of the returning starters and varsity members, the volleyball knowledge and ability to see trends should also help the defense until they get a solid plan in place.
The offensive side for the Demons is where true excitement lives. Buena Vista will see both of the girls who shared time at setter returning, with Lindsey Pratt and Sage McGinnis coming back with the team. Those two also should see hitting continue to be a big part of their game as well as have a plethora of targets to send the ball too.
Maddie McFee, after her first year of volleyball at the high school level, showed great improvement as a junior through the year, and should be a big outside presence for the Demons, while on the inside, Madison Wagner returns as not only an offensive leader, but also the leader from last years team in blocks, with 40 from her middle blocker position. You should also see more activity and time on the court from Lexi Petri, Shea Moss and Ruthie Molitor, who all put in time filling in during last season.
Overall, the Demons are riding one of the swells in high school volleyball entering this season. 3A volleyball in Colorado is one of the more difficult classes to have success in, with the likes of University, Peak to Peak, Eaton and other powerhouses in volleyball dominating the classification. But this years Demons have a shot at making a second trip to state and building on a legacy the program is constructing.
Caleb’s Prediciton: A 13-9 regular season with a trip to the regional tournament.
