After winning the 2nd Region volleyball title in just their second year of full membership in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, one thing is certain going forward into 2025 for the Heritage Christian Academy Lady Warriors, they won’t sneak up on anyone next year. Instead, HCA will how experience being the team that everyone else is chasing after. Especially since the Lady Warriors figure to be among the contenders in the region again next season.
Looking ahead to 2025, the biggest question will be who replaces Mya Goodwin, the only senior on this year’s roster. Those shoes will be important to fill and will be very big ones to fill.
Goodwin led HCA in kills and service aces this season. She was also the ‘high-flying’ player at the net that was always a threat to put the ball away and end the point. So, finding the player, or players, to fill that slot is one of the biggest challenges for Coach Grace Stewart over the next several months.
The good news is that the Lady Warriors were a young and very talented team. Katie Cansler is one of just two juniors on the roster and figures to step up into the leadership role for the team in 2025. She was second on the team to Goodwin in kills for the season.
Also, look for Lexi Lyon to have a chance to step up into an increased role in 2025. The other junior on this year’s roster played in 21 matches for the Lady Warriors this season.
Bralee Fowler and Makenzie McCarty are two sophomores who saw extensive time on the court this season for Heritage Christian. McCarty ended up leading the team in assists while Fowler played in every match and led the team in blocks. Expect even bigger junior seasons for this duo with another year of experience on the court.
The freshman trio of Hadlee Hayes, Grace Conley, and Allison Craft may hold the keys to another run at a regional championship in 2025. If the three improve as much over the next several months as they did over the course of the 2024 season, it will be very difficult to displace the Lady Warriors from their perch atop the 2nd Region.
Hayes is one of the players that just seems to get to almost every ball. She was second on the team in assists and was one of four Lady Warriors with more than 200 digs.
Allison Craft, over the course of the 2024 season, developed into one of the top players at libero in the region and another off-season of work should keep her among the region’s best.
One to keep your eyes on as the next ‘force’ at the net for Heritage Christian is Grace Conley. By the end of the season, Conley was playing nothing like a freshman and with an increased role in 2025 may quickly climb the ladder of the best players in the 2nd Region. Conley was third on the team in kills and second in blocks this year.
A couple of other player to watch out for next season would be Sarah Martinez and Harley Sparks. Martinez, a sophomore, saw action in 21 matches, while Sparks, a freshman, played in 19 this season.
As always, one of the challenges for a champion is how you handle defending your title. Things are a bit different when everyone is aiming for your position at the top, rather than when you are one of the teams taking aim at someone else.
After winning their first-ever title, the Heritage Christian Academy Lady Warriors are about to find out just what that is like, but the pieces are in place for them to make a strong run at holding on to that position at ‘the top of the hill.’
