Enterprise moving on without ‘Big Three’

By Jeremy Wise

Published: August 7, 2008

For three years, Enterprise volleyball’s “Big Three” - Kaitlyn Stephenson, Neysa Hernandez and Emily Galloway - controlled the courts.

Now that they have graduated, the Lady Wildcats are trying to fill the voids left by their departure.

“I don’t think you can replace them. All three were unique, talented players,” said Rita Tanner, Lady Wildcats head coach.

Tanner will turn to seven seniors to replace hitters Stephenson and Hernandez.

Cassie Wilcox, a setter in Tanner’s 6-2 offense, is one of those replacements.

Five of the six other seniors - Ashli Thomas, Jenae Pouncey, Adrienne Bradley, Kayla Beth Logsdon and Courtney Nadolny - are vying for the other hitting vacancy.

Senior Januar Page will return as the team’s libero, or defensive specialist.

“She’s very quick. She’s probably the best athlete on the team,” Tanner said.

Sophomore Kelsey McLean and Nadolny may also see time at libero.

At setter, Bailey Harrelson and Tori Nadolny are the leading candidates to fill Wilcox’s and Galloway’s spots.

Harrelson was the junior varsity squad’s setter last year.

Last year’s squad won 39 games and fell in the sub-state to Murphy, but Tanner believes this squad may better that mark.

“This may be the group to win 40. We’re working hard to win as many as we can. They’re very hard workers,” she said.

Tanner also said this group plays as a team.

“They are well-balanced.They all have team continuity. They are team-oriented,” she said.

Tanner said that stems from the fact that many of them played on strong junior varsity squads together.

The new lineup has performed well already, winning a camp competition at Troy University in July.

Some other schools in the camp were Laurel Breeze (Fla.) High, Auburn, Straughn,Geneva, Hewitt-Trussville, Elba, Horseshoe Bend and Crenshaw Christian.