By Jeff Odom
As Mindy Kantor walked into the Wiregrass Ranch gymnasium recently, the Bulls’ volleyball coach took a moment to glance at the row of championship banners hanging from the rafters.
Football, baseball, soccer, cross-country and track are just a few that are christened with seasons of titles, glory and remembrance of their respective accomplishments.
Then, there’s volleyball — blank.
“They believe in themselves. They’re determined,” said Kantor, the only coach since the school opened in 2007. “We’ve built this team on respect for everything — the uniform, the school, the coach and yourself, big time. And if you have the confidence to believe all of that, it’s in your court, and it’s what they put out on that court that’s going to go up on that banner.”
It’s that kind of confidence that has the Bulls believing that this can be the year they get over the hump and into the postseason, which they fell one win short of last season after losing to Freedom in the district semifinals.
One of the major factors that could lift them to the title this time around is leadership from the program’s nine returning seniors, many of whom have grown through the program since they were freshmen and sophomores.
“We’ve gone so far and then the ups and downs and the disappointments, but they’ve taken those disappointments and they feed off of it,” Kantor said. “They’ve wanted (to win the title) from all the way back in June, when we started open courts and conditioning. They gave it through the summer, they gave it through camp … you name it, they gave it, and it’s now transpiring into practices. It’s nonstop.”
One of the benefits of bringing back that many seniors, according to Kantor, is the return of what she refers to as the “Big Three” — outside hitter Grace Olsen, setter Teddi Wright and libero Izah Deang.
Olsen, who was one of Pasco County’s leader in kills with 305 and added 252 digs, said it’s a huge advantage to return so many familiar faces, because it means the team’s chemistry will still be on the mark.
“I’ve gotten to know these girls over the past three, four years and even playing with them (during practice), I’ve noticed that we mesh as a team, we play well and no one gets mad at each other,” Olsen said. “Everything is always moving forward. We never take any steps back.”
Deang, who is referred to by her nickname, “The Beast,” led all Bulls with 337 digs and has anchored her squad’s back row as a quick defender. A family atmosphere surrounds the team both on and off the court, she said.
“We’ve all really grown together,” Deang said. “We really want to see us succeed as a team, and it’s a very big advantage because most teams don’t have as much family-wise as we do or have a very close knit group.”
If Wiregrass Ranch is able to win its first Class 7A-District 8 championship this season, the route to it won’t be easy.
Aside from Freedom, the Bulls will also have to defeat newcomer Sickles — winner of three straight district titles — and Steinbrenner, which has won its district each year since the school opened in 2009 and is a perfect 22-0 all-time in district matches, dropping just one set in four years.
Wright, who had a team-high 79 assists last season, said it will take a lot more work to get past those teams, but it’s nothing they can’t handle.
“It’s going to take a lot of hard work from us,” Wright said. “Once we step onto the court, we know it’s time to be serious. Yeah, we can have fun, but we also know when we go, we are all out, and we never give up and we always push each other to the max.”
Added Kantor: “They want that district title, they want that (Sunshine Athletic Conference) title and they can almost taste it. They’re not being cocky about it and they’re not overconfident, but it’s a goal they want and it’s a goal that they really want to reach their senior year.”
Wiregrass Ranch opens its season on the road against Fivay on Aug. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
