Crawfordsville volleyball is beginning a new chapter this season. After 39 years at the helm Kelly Johnson retired at the end of last season. Leading the new era for the Athenians will be Allison Manwell. Manwell, who also currently works for Wabash College Athletics comes into her first season with the Athenians with plenty of knowledge of the game. She was previously a coach with Zionsville and Madison-Grant High School before her current position of Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations with the Little Giants.
“I’m really excited about the team that we’ve assembled,” Manwell said. “I really missed coaching so that’s what attracted me to the job the most honestly. When I saw this job open up I knew it was something I wanted to jump at. I got to meet the girls late last fall and since working with them since the spring, it’s been really exciting to teach them new things and they’re all super eager to learn which I’ve loved.”
Not only is it a new era for Manwell as the coach, but also for the new crop of players for the Athenians. The last two years, Cville was loaded with seniors (12 total) as they won 20+ games three straight years. That group included the likes of Hallie Gayler, Jessica Tribble, Laine Schlicher, Halle Elliott, Olivia Reed, Brooklyn Mills, and of the county career kills leader in Macy Bruton.
This year’s Athenian team will feature five seniors in Sam Rohr, Addie Hodges, Devan Johnson, Kaydence Brost, and Emily Powell. Along with those five a plethora of sophomores and juniors will round out the Athenian roster.
“We really have about three girls who have seen varsity experience so this season a lot of girls will be getting that first taste of what varsity volleyball is like,” Manwell said. “These girls are really competitive even against each other and they really want to win so you’ll see a variety of them out there on the floor. I know all of them are up for the challenge of filling the void that’s been left with those seniors from last year.”
When it comes to goals and expectations that Manwell and her coaching staff are setting for the team in her first year, she notes how she wants to really wants to change the mindset of her players and have them think big picture.
“The first goal that the girls brought up is that they want to defend our county title,” Manwell said. “They really didn’t bring up the conference or the sectional much and one of my goals is to re-frame that mindset and get them thinking that they can contend in those areas.”
Cville’s home opener will be Thursday against Greencastle.
