It has been six years since the Heritage Christian Academy Lady Warriors reached the championship match of the Kentucky Christian Athletic Association volleyball tournament. This year could well be the year that the drought comes to an end.
The Lady Warriors finished the 2018 season with a loss to lower seeded Somerset in the consolation bracket of the state tournament, after falling to lower seeded Community Christian Academy in their opening match of the tournament.
With a solid corp of returning players, and some very talented youngsters, the Lady Warriors could well contend for their first KCAA state championship since 2011.
There are some graduation losses HCA will have to overcome, but they appear well positioned to do that. Gone from the team are graduates Allie Maternowski, Skyler Crisp, Peyton Hampton, and Grace Schluckebier. An unexpected loss came in the form of the transfer of Cami Nelson, who figured to be a big part of the attack in 2019.
On the other side of the coin, there are some key returnees for HCA, which leaves plenty of room for high hopes during 2019. Seniors Meredith Crunk, Alie Boyd, Allie Schluckebier, and sophomore Lexie Crisp anchor a lineup that will be a handful to contend with during the season. The up and comer to watch for this season will likely be Elle Heltsley, a freshman, who is learning to be aggressive at the net with a big and powerful swing.
Leadership should not be a problem for the Lady Warriors in 2019, with five seniors returning to the program.
HCA finished the 2018 season with a record of 28-16. The Lady Warriors opened the 2019 season last week, hosting Clarksville Academy on Tuesday.