New positions. Replacing two all-conference players. The only two seniors on a roster loaded with youth.
So began the final high school volleyball seasons of Polk County’s Savannah Ross and Ashley Love.
Pressure? Plenty. But to say the two handled it well might be an understatement. Ross and Love have anchored the Wolverines’ season, leading Polk County to a 17-5 record, Western Highlands Conference championship and likely high seed when the state 2A playoffs begin Saturday.
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“Savannah and Ashley are so spirited and they love what they do and give it all they’ve got. They’re so passionate about the game, and that shows in everything they do, on and off the court,” said Polk County head coach Molly Hill.
“They set the team rules and expectations and they truly are great leaders. They’re really hard on the underclassmen, but it’s all with love and it’s just because they hold such high expectations for their teammates. They want to hold them accountable, and I totally respect that.”
Hill decided this spring that Ross would become her setter, the on-court leader of the offense. While Ross had been a setter as a junior varsity player, she had never played the position at the varsity level. And not only did Hill’s decision mean relearning the position, it also meant Ross would have to fill the large shoes left by Kara Overholt, last season’s WHC player of the year who is now setting at Coker College.
“Everybody knows Kara Overholt, and everybody loved her and she was top in our conference,” Hill said. “Savannah felt that pressure at the beginning of the year. For her to have set one year before this year, and that in her freshman year and not set since, I’m so proud of her and excited for her. She’s one of the leading setters in the conference in assists. That’s a huge accomplishment for someone who is really new to this.”
“I think I just kind of took it day by day, and whatever happened happened,” said Ross, who trained extensively with Hill during the offseason. “You have to understand that you’re going to fail sometimes, but it’s how you succeed that makes you a better player.
“It has gone completely and totally better than expected. Nobody thought we would make it this far, losing the two big people we lost, but everybody stepped up where they needed to and it’s been going incredible.”
The other departed senior that had to be replaced, Sarah Phipps, left a void in Polk County’s attack, Phipps a potent force hitting outside last season. Perhaps the hardest hitter on this year’s team, Love has provided a needed spark for Polk’s offense this fall, playing both outside and middle hitter.
“We just have a couple of juniors and me and Savannah as seniors,” Love said. “There was a lot of stepping up that had to be done. Last year we only had two seniors, so we’ve had a young team the past couple of years and we’ve always seemed to step up and get the job done.
“I’ve had a great season with all these girls. We’ve really come together and played so well. It was rough at the start of the season. Everybody was playing a different position, but everyone’s just really stepped up and done their job.”
“Ashley has been so versatile. Wherever you put her, she’s going to try to get the job done and she’s going to give 100 percent, her all, all the time,” Hill said. “That’s something that I really admire about her. She has expectations for” herself and goals for herself that she tries to reach every game. That shows, to me, to her teammates, to the fans, everybody is impressed with her. She’s known as our big powerhouse hitter, and she certainly gets the job done.”
As the only seniors on a team with five sophomores and freshmen, Ross and Love have been looked to for leadership as well as outstanding performance. Those expectations didn’t bother either player, both of whom said they were more concerned with handling their new on-court duties.
“I don’t think it was pressure of leadership as much as we were playing new positions,” Ross said. “I think there was more pressure to fulfil our positions because we are older and we are expected to get the job done.”
Do the job, they did. And with the postseason quickly approaching, neither player is ready to stop doing it, either.
“As a senior, everybody wants to go to state,” Love said. “I wanted to go to state all four years in high school. We worked hard, but we weren’t able to get there. I’m really hoping this year that we can build ourselves up and know that when we all play together, we can beat any team.
“I’ve had a great season with all these girls. We’ve really come together and played so well. it was rough start to the season. My senior year has definitely been the best volleyball season I’ve had. I hate to see it come to an end, but I’m looking forward to another month.”
