As is the case in other sports, an infusion of youth in volleyball can be the cure for the loss of successful senior leadership.

Such may well be the case for the Superior Lady Bobcats volleyball team as they get ready for the 2022 season beginning this week.

Gone from the past three years of good volleyball are three key seniors: Cassie Green, Sorren Reese and Aubrie Constant. All three were mainstays of the Lady Bobcats program, in volleyball and other sports.

But the future remains bright in Superior despite the departures of two All-Conference players who led the team in blocking, setting and hitting.

Reese is now a freshman at Carroll College in Helena where she will participate with the Lady Saints track and field team.

However, the Lady Cats return four seniors who should ease the pain of losing the three who graduated, beginning with multi-sport star Peyton Milender who returns to anchor the outside and back row positions. Fellow seniors Brooke Bible returns as a setter, Trinity Donaldson comes back as the libero and Maddy Drey will move to the middle position this season.

Coach Kyra McElroy, while admitting she will miss the big three who graduated, is pleased with the large group of players who turned out for volleyball this season, including three freshmen who will get playing time: Maggie Hayworth, Perry Jasper and Shaylee Smalley. Also moving up to varsity is sophomore Braelynn Mangold, a middle and long distance running standout for the track team.

“We have some new faces this year,” said McElroy. “These younger players will be adding a lot of energy and leadership to our team”.

Overall the Lady Bobcats will consist of eight freshmen.

“We have a young group this year. We are excited to see new faces as well as new energy that is being added to the program,” McElroy said. “We hope to see the positivity and leadership continue as our season goes on”.

Last year the Lady Bobcats finished with a 5-3 conference record. McElroy is hoping for and expecting improvement in several key areas.

“We would like to improve our offense this year and are working hard to dig shots,” she said. “The more we can do this, the more we can improve our defense also”.

Among the teams to watch in the conference this year, according to McElroy, are Charlo and Noxon. The Lady Cats lost to Charlo in five sets in last year’s District Championship and expect them to be tough again this year.

“The team we look forward to playing is Charlo,” she said. “They are a well-rounded team and it’s fun watching our two teams battle it out. Noxon is a team that has challenging serves and tough defense. We look forward to playing them as well as the rest of the teams in our conference”.

Superior opens the 2022 season this Thursday versus Drummond on the Lady Cats home court at 7 pm. They then travel to Phillipsburg with several other volleyball teams to participate in an invitational tournament August 27.

The Cats then return home for a crucial conference match-up with Noxon Thursday, September 1.