ROGERS -- Rogers High and coach Jeana Breedlove is hopping a large and talented senior class will be a winning combination for the Lady Mounties volleyball team.
When Rogers opens the season tonight Breedlove will welcome her largest senior class in over 10 seasons as there are six seniors on the roster. Four of those seniors -- Kimi Davis, Shannon Orlopp, Emily Sherrill and Audrey Kelley -- have played key roles since their sophomore season.
Rogers High Schedule
Date^Opponent^Time
Aug. 25^Van Buren^4:30 p.m.
Aug. 26^at Alma^5 p.m.
Aug. 28^at Siloam Springs^4:30 p.m.
Sept. 4^Springdale High*^4:30 p.m.
Sept. 6^Little Rock Spikefest^TBA
Sept. 8^Greenwood^4:30 p.m.
Sept. 9^at Fort Smith Southside*^4:30 p.m.
Sept. 11^Bentonville*^4:30 p.m.
Sept. 16^at Fayetteville*^4:30 p.m.
Sept. 18^at Fort Smith Northside*4:30 p.m.
Sept. 23^Springdale Har-Ber*^4:30 p.m.
Sept. 25^Rogers Heritage*^4:30 p.m.
Sept. 27^Carl Junction, Mo. Tournament^TBD
Sept. 30^at Springdale High*^4:30 p.m.
Oct. 2^Fort Smith Southside*^4:30 p.m.
Oct. 7^at Bentonville*^4:30 p.m.
Oct. 9^Fayetteville*^4:30 p.m.
Oct. 11^Hollister, Mo. Tournament^TBD
Oct. 14^Fort Smith Northside*^4:30 p.m.
Oct. 16^at Springdale Har-Ber*^4:30 p.m.
Oct. 21^Rogers Heritage*^4:30 p.m.
Oct. 27-30^Class 7A Tournament at Fayetteville^TBD
*7A-West Conference Game
Breedlove is also counting on seniors Madison Van Allen and Miriam Gonzalez to provide key minutes.
"I have never had more than six here at Rogers," Breedlove said. "It is a plus, and it's going to be a dynamic plus for us. We will have girls on the floor that do not get intimidated. They have been around the block. They know what it takes to make sure we remain calm and keep our composure.
"We are going to remain composed and confident on the court no matter what is happening."
Davis is a defensive specialist while Orlopp and Sherrill will be the Lady Mounties top hitters.
"The good thing about Emily and Shannon is that they can play any top row position," Breedlove said. "It doesn't where I put them, they are comfortable in that role. They have very fast feet. If I put them in the middle, they work fast to get the block closed. They are good at anticipating what the setter is going to do."
Sherrill said having a large senior class has helped with the team chemistry.
"I think the big thing is that we are all good friends," Sherrill said. "We work well on the court together. Our communication is good and we trust each other."
Orlopp said the leadership provided by the senior class is the best that it has been in her career at Rogers.
"Emily and I have to step up as senior hitters and we know we have big shoes to fill," Orlopp said. "I think we have learned to hide our emotions on the court. If you show emotion, girls on the other team will pick on you because they see that. The past two years has really toughened us up."
Davis recently committed to Arkansas and Breedlove said she is one of the more talented players she has coached.
"When Kimi sets her mind to it, she can play to perfection," Breedlove said. "She love to compete, and she likes to rob a hitter. She loves it when she gets a dig from a hard hit."
Breedlove said that Kelley's work ethic in games and at practice has made her one of the team leaders.
"Audrey is very good defensively, and she is a good talker on the floor," Breedlove said. "She has been a team leader for a while. Even when she was a sophomore, girls looked to her for leadership."
Breedlove is also counting on seniors Madison Van Allen and Miriam Gonzalez to provide key minutes.
"This is the first year Miriam has broke into the varsity and I am amazed at everything she does," Breedlove said. "Madison has also improved and she will be able to contribute. This is probably the best team that I have had since 2008. But I know there are a lot of good teams out there that we have to compete with.
"But I believe we can beat any team in our conference or any team in the state. We just have to get our girls to believe that."
Breedlove said having a large senior class will help the Lady Mounties underclassmen in the future.
"They need seniors to look up to," Breedlove said. "You have to have seniors that say, 'You can count on me.' The underclassmen know they can make a mistake because they know the seniors will make up for it."
Sports on 08/25/2014