Volleyball: Clarkton prepares for another 'magical' season

Coming on the heels of one of the most successful seasons in program history, the Clarkton volleyball team has been hard at work this summer in preparation to “do something else magical” this fall.

Last year, the team won the MSHSAA Class 1 District 2 championship and concluded the season with a 31-7 record. They went on to defeat Holcomb in the Class 1 State Sectionals, but then fell to eventual state champion Advance in the State Quarterfinals.

The Reindeer took an incredible journey to a successful season. Early on, the team went on a ten-game winning streak which was finally broken at the Gideon Invitational Tournament. To answer for the loss, they turned around and went on a nine-game winning streak, which was then broken by Gideon in the Tri-County Conference Tournament championship game.

In retaliation, Clarkton picked up six more consecutive wins, including a victory over Gideon in the district championship to advance into the state tournament.

The Reindeer were 11-1 at home, the only loss at home being to none other than Gideon. They were 7-0 on the road and 13-6 at neutral sites.

Clarkton head coach Amy Cowart said that they hope to “piggyback” off of the success and confidence found last year in spite of graduating three of the team's best players.

Ivy Martinez, Montana Pearson and Liz Burchell will be starting the next chapter of their lives this year, but Cowart said that several returners and new players are stepping up to fill their shoes.

“I'm optimistic that we'll look really good by the end of October,” Cowart said. “We've got a lot of growing and skill work to do come August 7. We'll come back then and have about three weeks before the season starts.”

This summer, the team has competed in Cape Girardeau, Scott City and, most recently, at the Licking Summer Volleyball Camp in Branson.

At the Licking Camp, as one of 110 teams in contention, Cowart said that the team competed well in every game. To start, Clarkton took down Class 2 Houston and eventually fell in the semifinals to Class 3 California.

Along the way, the Reindeer faced fierce competition against teams of all sizes, including a Class 6 school from Arkansas.

“We started meshing in the last day of that camp,” Cowart said. “There's a lot of promise for this season again if they're ready to put in the work, and I really think they will. It was so nice getting to go play big caliber teams. I didn't even want to go and just beat everybody – I wanted us to go and be challenged. We needed to see where we're vulnerable and what we need to work on. ”

Cowart's daughter, Brinley – one of four returning varsity starters this year – was named to the All Camp Team at the end of the tournament.

Brinley will take the court this year alongside other returners: junior Angel Johnson, senior Lexi Elizondo and senior Bree Winchester.

Brinley was an All-State setter last season, and Cowart said Johnson and Winchester will both be big hitters for the team this year who will “score a lot of points” for the Reindeer. She said Elizondo, the team's libero, “flies all over the place,” and will play a central role on the team once again.

However, with only three or four freshmen moving up the ranks, Cowart isn't sure whether the roster will be stocked enough to field a junior varsity team this year.

Other returners from last year's squad Riley Plunkett, Kaylee Youngblood and Abby Goings will “get in the mix some.” Nayely Rivera, “a dynamite in a small package,” will also be a six rotation player this season.

Despite the drop in numbers, Cowart is confident that the team will be competitive once again and that it will be another fun season.

“In the conference and the district, I think we should be competitive,” Cowart said. “I don't know how the district will line up, and Gideon will always be tough, and (Coach Kristen Ashabranner) have them in tip top shape. There'll be some hard teams to get by this year.”