Chandler Karr

Inside the gym of Paola high school Chandler Karr, a varsity volleyball player, shows leadership towards the team.

In the new gym, Karr helps her team work towards state.

Karr has played volleyball since her freshman year. The team has not made it to state yet though in a couple years. But is  always working hard, being a team player and making sure the team has what it takes to reach their goals for the season Karr said.

“Were doing pretty well, we had a rough beginning but I think we’re starting to finally get our team together to play well,” Karr said.

Since Karr’s freshmen year,  she said working hard has been her biggest thing. Paola’s volleyball team is very competitive, so if everyone has the goal of winning the game, they will, Karr said.   

“I went from being so uncoordinated and completely awful to working every day and I’ve become a 10x better player than what I was freshman year,” Karr said.

The team is great at team bonding, which is a major key to a successful team coaches, Karr said.   

“Sometimes we do some team stuff together but I wish we could’ve done more before the season started because now we’re busy in the season,” Karr said.

Coach  Joni Reed, new varsity coach, said she is hoping for a successful season. Reed said that if the girls get mentally stronger they can reach their goal and make it to state.

“It takes incredible focus to simply do what you know to be fundamental on every play,“ Reed said.

According to Reed, the team is best at converting out of systems to balls to points. This skill they have been trained with, and is being done at a high level.  
The volleyball team always makes sure to put the team before an individual player.  And has to be this way for success.

Coach Baylee Teagarden, junior varsity coach, said she feels so lucky that she gets to spend so much time with the girls. The key for most teams is to work together and become a family.

“Being successful as a team means being a family,” Teagarden said.

The team is accomplishing its goals together, facing failure together but also laughing together, Teagarden said. As a new coach, Teagarden said it is very important to know each player as an individual so she can teach them in a way they can understand.   

Reed encourages everyone to go out to Louisburg and support the volleyball girls at substate Oct. 22.