It’s been a good season for Panther JV volleyball so far.
After a 20-1 regular season and a trip to the Mountain Seven Conference Finals last year, Cindy Christie’s team have begun their fall season at 13-1. With much of last year’s roster now starring for a 14-1 varsity squad, Christie says the next generation of varsity Panthers haven’t skipped a beat.
“Just seeing how they were all there the first day of spring workouts,” said Christie of when she learned this year’s team could be special. “Even the ones that played spring sports, this group of freshmen were showing up, and it shows. … We go into every season with the mindset that we’re going to be the best, and if we’re not the best, we’re going to work our tails off to be the best.”
Between key starters moving up to varsity and a brand new crop of players every year, change is the only constant for Christie and Franklin’s eight other JV head coaches. For all the success this year’s freshmen had in middle school however, transitioning to high school is a challenge for every player.
“These freshmen had a dominant season last year going undefeated and winning conference,” said Christie. “When they get up here to the JV level it’s only a year’s difference, but at the same time it’s a very big wake-up call for them because the pace is much, much faster. … We play in a very, very brutal conference to be quite honest, so that was big eye-opener for them. As far as the things they did on the middle school level, there’s a bit more strenuous standards on the JV level.”
After a 16-1 regular season and a Blue Ridge Athletic Conference title last year, the Mountain Seven has represented a clear step up in competition. In a conference that sent four other teams to the 3A state playoffs last year, players have no choice but to be fundamentally sound.
“By the JV level, my number one job is to get them ready for varsity,” said Christie. “It’s no longer about just making sure they get the serve over the net. Now, you’re making certain types of serves, you’re serving to certain areas and you’re able to hit those areas when given that task. … Knowing what their coverage is after they specialize and being able to go to their proper coverage areas, that’s a big thing for them. They were doing all of this last year, but just being held accountable to make sure that they’re doing this, that’s a pretty big step.”
Playing in one of the toughest volleyball conferences in 3A, the JV Panthers have lost just five sets in 15 matches, proving themselves Mountain Seven contenders with six regular-season matches to play. The lone blemish on their record is a 25-20, 25-23 loss to Pisgah, which Christie says galvanized the team for the home stretch.
“It was just one of those things coming off the bus, looking in my girls’ eyes, we weren’t ready. We weren’t focused on our game,” she said of the team’s Aug. 31 trip to Canton. “But, trust me when I tell you – after that loss those girls are on a mission, so that’s a good thing. We ended up going three sets with West [Henderson], and that was another tough game, so I think between West and Pisgah it’s gonna be a toss-up. … Franklin has a tradition and a history of having solid athletic programs, and because of that we start every season with a target on our backs, no matter what level it is.”
In the rough-and-tumble world of Mountain Seven volleyball, the JV Panthers have jumped in the deep end, applying skills that will help them both in volleyball and in life. In transitioning to high school both on and off the court, Christie also credited Franklin’s varsity players for helping their JV counterparts adapt.
“As freshmen, they’ve got so many new things that are being thrown at them,” she said. “Because we start our workouts over the summer, it’s a good and a bad thing because they have more responsibilities than your typical student. But at the same time, I believe fall sport athletes have an advantage because as freshmen they get to start a brand-new school with anywhere from 15 to 20 older sisters looking out for them, showing them the ropes and helping them out. … I’m very proud of our varsity girls that have kind of taken our younger girls under their wings.”
With JV sitting at 13-1 and varsity tied for first at 14-1, 2023 has the makings of a stellar season program-wide. Even if things go awry however, Christie says her team has the makeup to weather the storm.
“I would say probably their biggest strength is that they’re very close,” she said. “This freshmen group is a very close-knit group. They’re all very, very close with each other, they all spend time together on and off the court and they’re very supportive of each other. There’s no question they’re gonna have each other’s backs. We’ve got a great group of sophomores, and they could get along with anybody. What they may lack in skill or something else they definitely make up for in heart and effort, so when you combine that type of mentality with the skill level that this group of freshmen have, you’ve got a well-rounded team.”
Panther JV volleyball returns to Tom Raby Court this Thursday, Sept. 28 for a Mountain Seven clash with North Henderson. They’ll close out their regular season Oct. 5 against West, ahead of the conference tournament the following week.