Huron focused on getting the ball up

SANDUSKY — Don Wood expects to be preaching ball control every day for the next three months. The 32nd-year head coach is at the helm of a Huron volleyball team that graduated its libero, setter, top two defensive specialists and most-utilized all-around player. The first two touches have rarely ever loomed so large. "The first two contacts of every rally all graduated," Wood said with a laugh. "... You're gonna hear me say ball control from now until October. That's it this year." The Tigers are getting ample opportunity to figure things out at the Summer Spiketacular at Cedar Point Sports Center. There are three separate two-day tournaments over the next week-plus, and Huron is set to play in all three, beginning this Friday through next Saturday. "Last year at this time, we were established, we knew what our lineup was," Wood said. "No clue this year, and it's kind of fun, to be honest with you. You've got some young kids, some old kids that have been chomping at the bit. It's a good healthy competition. It's fun." Ambition doesn't waver for Huron volleyball, which is in Division V in Ohio's new seven-division format that debuts this fall. The Tigers are coming off the most dramatic district championship in their storied program's history, down 7-0 and 14-11 in the fifth set to Galion as part of an unthinkable comeback. That team featured eight seniors, including the aforementioned libero Kendall Camp, setter Tess Humphrey, defenders Addie Foster and Lanee Orzech and never-left-the-floor Casey Brown. Huron's returning depth is at the hitting spots, with seniors Azure Waldock, Cami Adams and Lillian Chylik along with junior Maggie Orzech. "They're gonna have to be a little bit more patient and learn to do a little more out of system," Wood said. "They already are doing a decent job at that." With about a month until Huron opens against Norwalk to open the season, it's all-hands-on-deck mode in the back row to figure out who will earn those initial chances to receive and dig. "That's what we're doing, trying to see who's gonna do it," Wood said. The cupboard certainly isn't empty for Huron, which looks to have plenty of options to choose from, including four promising freshmen — hitters Mya Smith and Jada Foster, back-row Adelyn Van Sickle and setter Reece Hotz. "For younger players especially, the speed is different," Wood said. "So we see if they can (keep up) without getting spun into the ground." On Friday, Wood trusted senior CC Clouse with frequent serving and back-row responsibility. The Tigers' fifth senior, Allison Witherow, split setting duties with Hotz. The junior class mostly figures into the front row with Orzech, Ava Trevino and Addison Graham. Jenna Cox will be a sophomore. "We get to play the old ones (this month), we get to play the young ones, mix and match," Wood said. In Friday morning's action, Huron defeated Stow in two sets and North Royalton in three while falling in two to Austintown Fitch. "It's different teams that you don't see all the time," Wood said. "Like North Royalton, I don't know if we'll see anybody with two huge middles like that, but we were able to find a way. Fitch, great ball handlers. That's a great example of an undersized team that'll win a lot of games." The next week will go a long way toward determining what Huron looks like on opening night and beyond. There's still plenty of work to be done, and as usual, Wood knows that the biggest task is getting his players into position for another deep tournament run. The picture has plenty of potential, but only time will tell how far the ball-control puzzle and the mixture of old and young can take the Tigers. "We have some talented kids that can handle the ball," Wood said. "It's just, they're green. It'll come." --- CPSC Summer Spiketacular List of area teams competing: June 19-20: Huron June 22-23: Bellevue, Huron, Monroeville, Norwalk, St. Paul, Vermilion June 26-27: Danbury, Edison, Huron, Margaretta, Perkins, SMCC