Banging on the door of the state tournament while winning SEK League crowns for the last three years, the Chanute Blue Comets are primed for another marquee volleyball campaign this fall.
“We continue to have great kids who are great leaders,” Chanute head coach Jory Murry said. “As the new kids come in, they show what our program is all about. A big part of that is working hard and doing your best every day. The seniors we have this year, more so than any group that I’ve had, embodies the mentality that hard work can take you somewhere really fast.”
Chanute went 26-11 last year and advanced to the sub-state championship game for the third straight year. After getting Mieged twice in a row, the Blue Comets were again denied a state bid with a three-set loss to Holton.
Murry’s process in the offseason was to address off-schedule plays.
“One of my assistants played at Allen and she does a great job working with the hitters, so that’s a focus for us,” Murry said. “We’re working on scoring on balls that are bad sets or where the block is in a good position — not just scoring on perfect balls. We’re working on using different situations to our advantage. I think that’s very beneficial to us.”
Chanute sports four seniors this year — the Henson sisters in Josey and Presley, Kiley Dillow and Addy Hughes.
Josey Henson led the Blue Comets with 362 kills a year ago and will widely be regarded as one of the top hitters in the region.
“Josey is the girl where my daughter comes in and wants to play with the girls as long as Josey isn’t hitting at her,” Murry said. “Josey is so powerful. She’s such a good hitter, but you can argue she’s even a better passer. She is unreal at moving to the ball and understands how her body works to get the ball to do what she wants it to do.”
Presley Henson, the setter for Chanute, produced a whopping 841 assists last year.
“What I think is cool about her is that she’s quiet and leads by example by working her tail off,” Murry said. “She was voted team MVP by the girls last year. We had big-time hitters, but the girls knew without a great setter, we’re nothing. She runs the court and does a fabulous job. And she’s another great passer.”
Dillow, the renowned state champion wrestler, will play a limited role this fall as she nurses a shoulder injury.
“She’s still able to play in the back row, so she can be a defensive specialist for us this year,” Murry said. “And she can’t serve. So we’ll fill in that gap. But we’ve got girls that can do that.”
Dillow’s power produced 157 kills last fall, so her loss on the front row will have to be accounted for.
“The cool thing about her is that she can make an impact wherever she is,” Murry said. “She could’ve made an impact sitting on our bench. She leads others with her presence. She’s going to do a great job passing for us. Her ball control and knowledge of the court is so great for us. Yes, it’s a loss not having her on the front row. But we’ve got girls capable of stepping in.”
Crowns only get heavier, a fact the Blue Comets will face as they chase a fourth straight league title.
“We don’t come into the gym talking about how we’ve won league titles,” Murry said. “We’re just in the gym wondering how we can get better and taking things one game at a time. Having success not be a focus is how we prove ourselves — as if we’ve never won anything.”
Murry has proof of concept with this year’s squad. Establishing the right tone is her top priority.
“It’s hard to say until we start going, but we all just want the kids to get better every single day,” Murry said. “We want a good culture and good vibes. Hopefully, we win lots of games along the way, too. That’s secondary to creating a culture that people want to be a part of.”
