Stewart Johnson
The Lady Dragons relied heavily on the attacking strength of senior middle blocker Annabelle Smith (476 kills, 183 blocks) and the offensive and defensive prowess of junior outside hitter Natalie Glenn (439 kills, 444 digs). But several younger contributors found their way onto the court as well.
A team that had nine seniors and just four sophomores the year before now had just four seniors and five sophomores vying for time. Serving specialists Mabyn Thomas (853 assists) and Jessica Dunn (507 assists) were two sophomores who made big impacts.
“Reflecting on the different lineups we ran throughout the year, it took me stepping back to realize how young we were,” Dunn says.
Senior right side hitter Madelyn Grunza came up big with blocks (114), while junior outside hitter Keagan Polk led the team with 947 digs.
The post-season honors were numerous for Carroll, with many district honors and sports publication selections.
“The loss of those seniors, those are big shoes to fill,” Dunn says. “But those girls that learned from the seniors, I really think they are ready for their moment.”
SEASON RECAP
One year after a senior-heavy Carroll volleyball team advanced to the regional finals round of the playoffs, a much younger Lady Dragons team in 2019 fought its way through arguably one of the toughest districts in the state.
Despite the added challenges, Carroll (31-12) held its own to finish third in District 5-6A, earn a playoff spot and then nearly pulled off an unlikely comeback before falling 3-2 to Mansfield in the 6A area round match.
It was a different team from the group that fell just shy of earning a berth to state the year before, but the heart, drive and tenacity was evident in this past fall’s lineup of Lady Dragons.
Against Mansfield (40-9), the top seed in 7-6A, the Lady Dragons were down 0-2 before winning the next two sets (25-17, 25-20) and ultimately losing the fifth and final set by the narrowest of margins (15-17).
That ability to never give up was necessary in a district where they would face Trophy Club Byron Nelson (50-2) — the eventual 6A state champion — and Denton Guyer (35-9), a team that advanced to the Region I final before losing to Nelson. Carroll took Nelson to five sets before falling by three points in its second district meeting with the Lady Bobcats.
Head coach Teresa Dunn says the team’s success this year goes far beyond the wins and losses.
“I am proud of the people they are becoming,” she says.
‘19 Roster
Head Coach: Teresa Dunn
Assistant Coaches: Alli Lofton, Erin Weir, Rosana Barbosa, Jennifer Hutto
1: Courtney Darrah, MB, Sophomore
2: Carys Thomas, OH, Sophomore
3: Laura Bramblia, MB, Junior
4: Keagan Polk, OH, Junior
5: McKenzie Cutler, OH, Junior
6: Anna Proskovec, DS, Junior
7: Lauren Aguirre, DS, Junior
8: Madelyn Grunza, RS, Senior
9: Chloe Dorsey, OH, Senior
10: Audrey Kubiak, DS, Sophomore
11: Mabyn Thomas, SS, Sophomore
12: Annabelle Smith, MB, Senior
16: Jessica Dunn, SS, Sophomore
18: Kennedy Lane, RS, Senior
83: Natalie Glenn, OH, Junior