Panthers volleyball ready to change identity, keep winning

By JEREMY SCHNEIDER

MIRROR SPORTS

Over the last few years, Maumee volleyball has developed an identity of a team that will kill you with big hitters, or as coach Lindsay Vannett calls them, “bangers.”

That’s not this Panthers squad, and Vannett admitted it’s making her change how she coaches and keeping her on her toes.

“In the past, especially with the offense, we had bangers, we had the girls that right now six of them are playing in college, at a high level,” Vannett said. “Now we’re having to do a lot more work in practice, offensively. I’m developing more of a smarter hitter versus a banger, because we’re not there. That’s not going to be our identity for the next few years.

“We’re developing more of the mental side of the game … understanding more situational play where they have to anticipate more versus reactionary. We have to know what’s happening in situations.”

The list of big hitters is a who’s who of Maumee volleyball — Brynn Brown, Jolee Sobb and Kate Owens, to name just three.

While this year’s team might not be as intimidating at the net, the Panthers aren’t without talent and experience.

For instance, Vannett has four players on her varsity roster who have all played the libero position. In years past, she’s had to search and build a player into a libero on the fly.

“It’s figuring out how we’re going to balance that because they’re almost to the point where they’re so aggressive from playing that role that they back off of each other,” Vannett said. “We have to figure out how they ebb and flow together.”

The Panthers return three players who were named All-Northern Buckeye Conference last season in seniors Autumn Draper and Kirsten Green and sophomore Brooke Kwiatkowski. They’re joined by veteran players Kennedi King, Lydia Christenson, Audrey Wagner and Sydney Genot.

On the flip side, Vannett has three sophomores and a freshman on the 11-player varsity roster. It has put Vannett in a unique position of trying to figure out who she has and what they bring to the table.

“We’ve got a freshman and four new girls who haven’t been on varsity before mixed with our veterans,” Vannett said. “We’re playing out the lineup and seeing what our strong suits are. We’re trying to figure out where everybody’s strengths are to develop this team going forward.

“Even coming into tryouts through the summer, I didn’t know what I was going to do in a couple of areas. … I think we finally have our core, it’s just figuring out those last couple of places.”

The success of the Panthers have kept interest high at all levels of the system. Forty-two girls tried out for the high school program, and more than 40 tried out for the seventh and eighth grade teams.

“Winning helps culture,” Vannett said. “It’s really showing those younger girls that the culture we have cultivated is something they want to be a part of, which is why we get so many girls interested. … They want to be a part of a winning culture.”

Photos courtesy of Pride of the Panthers

Reach IMA at insidemaumeeathletics@gmail.com