Current player Kristen Woods, left, and former player Da’Nya McPhatter talk in between points during the FTCC volleyball alumni game held Nov. 22, 2020. [FTCC photo by Jaclyn Shambaugh]
Fayetteville Tech volleyball will have a new look this season. With just two returners, the 2021 Trojans will bring a different set of skills to the court when the team competes this spring.
“With our two new middles, Sonjai Guiles and Nytiara Brothers, and Taylor Melvin on the back row, we’ve got more speed than we did last year,” returning defensive specialist Kristen Woods said. “And we don’t have as much height, but we’re more athletic.”
Short on opportunities for scrimmages this fall, coach Moe Licardo found some ideal opponents to challenge his young team, calling on former players to face off in an alumni game.
Two sets of Trojans — current and former — faced off Sunday, Nov. 22, inside Sisk Gym for a bit of fun and a little nostalgia, not to mention some important competition before this year’s team takes to the court in a COVID-postponed season set to start in January.
“The players have been practicing since school started, and we needed to play someone other than ourselves,” the coach said. “When I reached out to some of our past players to see if they would be willing to play, a lot of them jumped at the chance.”
Seven former Trojans from last season and the program’s inaugural 2018 season stepped in to play.
Jessica Ware, libero for the 2018 Trojans, was among the alumni who turned out.
“We’re definitely rusty but it’s just fun to get to play together and to get to the see the new team and the coaches again,” said Ware, whose playing schedule has slowed to open gyms and the occasional beach match. “This year’s team looks promising for sure.”
The current players, with months of recent practice under their belts, had the edge in Sunday’s scrimmage. But both sides were shorthanded, with players pulling out last minute out of an abundance of caution.
To Licardo, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“We have to practice differently than we normally would because we have to prepare to be without key pieces in the event of players being quarantined,” Licardo said. “Being without some players Sunday allowed some players to play different positions and gave us the opportunity to see what might work in the future.”
Ware, who volunteered some coaching hours with the 2019 squad, said she’s seen development from the program each year despite its brief history.
“The first year for the program, we didn’t have time to do heavy recruiting, so we just banded together and made do with what we could,” she said. “But Coach Moe is building a strong program, and you’ve got great coaches with great reputations, and they’re going to have a good future. The foundation is there.”
