Enterprise volleyball team takes aim on Elite 8

ENTERPRISE — Enterprise High School has already made history this season with a 35-3 record.

So, what’s a little more history?

The Wildcats will try to win their first sub-state match today when Mary G. Montgomery High School out of Mobile comes to town. The match starts at 4 p.m. at Dauphin Junior High.

Enterprise has made a trip to the state Elite Eight before, but since the current format was adopted, the Wildcats have not made it past the sub-state round.

“It used to be if you won region or finished second, you went to state,” said EHS head coach Rita Tanner. “But now, you have to win sub-state.”

The Wildcats would like nothing more than to add a new page to their history books today.

“I’m excited for it. I can’t wait,” said senior setter Tori Nadolny.

At the same time, the opposite emotion is present as well.

“I’m very nervous,” she said.

Nadolny, who as a setter tries to lead the team in assists, said the team is strong in many places, but most notably along the front line.

“We have great sophomore hitters; they really contribute,” she said.

Mary Robinson and Chelsey Scott are those great sophomore hitters, and they exude confidence.

“It’s fun when it hits the floor,” Robinson said.

“Especially when we get a kill,” Scott said.

Though getting a kill is the highlight for these girls, they are also happy when they get a “dink” around the blockers.

“Sometimes, they expect you to kill it, but you can get a dink instead,” Robinson said. “That’s fun, too.”

The back line is strong, too. That’s where captains Bailey Harrelson (senior) and Kelsey McLean (junior) take control.

Harrelson spends time as a hitter and on the back row toward the right side. McLean is a libero (defensive specialist) and described herself as a “diggist.”

She is the one hitting the floor trying to keep the ball from hitting the ground.

She is also the one with the most bruises after a match, though she admitted the bruises sting worse after a loss than after a win.
Harrelson said her team is motivated because of what is at stake today.

“It’s down to one with state on the line,” she said.

None of the players knew anything about MGM. Enterprise has not faced the Mobile school this year.

The coaches have been seeking scouting information to better prepare the team for the important match.

“We’ve gotten some good information,” Tanner said. “We know they have one really tall girl, about 6-1.”

If the Wildcats win, they will travel to Pelham for the Elite Eight state tournament beginning Oct. 28.