SPRINGDALE — Katie Huff saw firsthand how much fun a deep run in the state volleyball tournament could be.
Then a sophomore, Huff watched mostly from the sideline as Springdale Har-Ber advanced to the Class 7A finals last season before falling to Fort Smith Southside in the championship match.
This time around, Huff expects to join in on the action. And the Lady Wildcats hope Huff can help lead them to another successful tournament run.
“We’ve got a lot of ability and we’ve got potential to go far in the tournament,” Huff said. “We just need to pull everything together one last time and play our best.”
As one of Har-Ber’s top middle blockers at 6-foot-1, Huff has improved her game dramatically during her junior season. Teaming up with classmate Summer Morgan, Huff gives the Lady Wildcats two blockers who can match up in both size and skill against almost any team around.
“That size is always an advantage and we’ve got two in the middle with her (and Summer Morgan),” Har-Ber coach Sandy Jones said. “So that will be big in the state tournament for us.”
Huff’s blocking is her strength, but it’s not the only asset she brings to the volleyball court. A strong server as well, she will be counted on to bring both when Har-Ber opens the Class 7A State Tournament at noon today at Bentonville against West Memphis.
“I think she’s really been stepping it up with her blocking,” Jones said. “That’s her main focus is that middle block, to close that. She can run those plays and she can run the slides and she can get in there really quick. And if her and the setters are connecting, she can be real effective on those.
“She’s also a good server too. At the beginning of the season she was missing some serves and we were having to switch her out. But now she’s pretty much getting them over and doing a good job with that. So she’s somebody that is going to be tough for us in the state tournament.”
While last year’s Lady Wildcat team finished as 7A-West Conference champions and almost won a state title, this year’s team had to settle for a third-place finish during the regular season.
Still, Huff believes if all the pieces fall into place, a similar result here at the end could take place. And now that Huff is more in the mix, Har-Ber’s chances for a run could be greatly improved.
“I think we can make it to the finals,” Huff said. “We just have to play together as a team. We just need to rely on each other.”