All-NWA Media Volleyball: Fayetteville Freshmen Make Instant Impact

FAYETTEVILLE -- Jessica Phelan tried as long as she could to downplay the arrival of two very special additions to the Fayetteville volleyball team this season.

All offseason, the Lady Bulldogs' coach knew a pair of freshmen would move up to the varsity level. But Phelan was cautious in drawing any early attention to players who would make the leap from ninth-grade volleyball to senior high competition.

There was no need to worry. Ella May Powell and Haley Warner let their play do the talking, and it was clear these two Fayetteville freshmen were more than ready for the big stage.

"They certainly exceeded all of our expectations and they were two of the best players in the gym night in and night out," Phelan said. "From a talent perspective we knew they could come in and be a big part of the team. But a big credit goes to our players returning in that we were able to have really good team chemistry with these freshmen coming in.

"We weren't sure about how that would go, but they were welcomed with open arms."

Powell, a 6-foot setter, and Warner, an overpowering outside hitter at 6-2, were more than just key components to a Fayetteville team that made a run to the Class 7A finals. They were among the best players the 7A-West Conference had to offer. And for their efforts, Powell and Warner are the All-NWA Media Volleyball Newcomers of the Year.

"We were kind of intimidated at first by a lot of our teammates being seniors, and by how they were going to treat us," said Warner, the Gatorade Arkansas Volleyball Player of the Year. "But they took us in with open arms. If they wouldn't have done that, I don't think we would have performed as well as we did."

Warner's presence on the court was overwhelming for opponents at times. With a strong left-handed stroke, Warner totaled a team-high 507 kills to lead the Fayetteville attack.

"She's so physical and she's obviously hard to stop," Phelan said. "She's left handed and she just brings a lot of things to the court that you don't coach, that just comes with her talent. But at the same time Haley is one of the hardest working players in the gym. She's always wanting to get better.

"So she's got that combination of talent and desire and the sky is the limit."

As tough as Warner was with her size and strength, Powell proved to be far advanced with her mind. The freshman setter always seemed to have the Lady Bulldogs in the right position on the court, finishing the year with 847 assists, 243 kills and 43 ace serves.

"Ella has a really high volleyball IQ and that's what you want in a setter," Phelan said. "You look in the state championship game, she was going exactly where I wanted her to in different situations. So her leadership and passion really drives our team. She's a great setter already and the sky is the limit for Ella as well."

Powell and Warner came to the high school team with plenty of top credentials. The two freshmen had attended the USA A-1 team camp for top junior players last summer and both are being recruited by many of the top college programs in the nation.

Still, meshing with their new high school team -- and turning that team into a winner -- was top priority this fall.

"I think we kind of knew what the potential was and what we could get to," Powell said. "When we came in I knew as a team, okay we can do this. But I knew we had to work hard to get there.

"So that was definitely what I was thinking. As long as the team chemistry was there, I knew we could do well."

Sports on 12/25/2014