The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
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D-2 Fall Sports Preview Tuesday, August 16, 2022 South Gibson Star-Times Lady Titans ready for competition By Mike Sandifar Star-Times Sports sports@sgstartimes.com As Coach Emily Schmitt enters her sixth year as the girls' volleyball coach at Gibson Southern High School, she believes her Lady Titans can be ver y competitive in 2022, even though she lost five seniors to graduation in May, including All-Pocket Athletic Confer- ence (PAC) performers Alex Holmes and Tori Schmitt. In addition to Holmes and Schmitt, the Titans graduated Madeline Dou- glass (Labero), Halle Humbaugh (Defensive Specialist), and Lexi Potts (Outside Hitter & Right Side).All five will be missed and ver y difficult to re- place. Still, Schmitt believes her edition of 2022 Lady Titan Volleyball will be ver y competitive and exciting to watch. A veteran of more than 20 years on the sidelines as a volleyball coach at Gibson Southern and Princeton High Schools in Gibson County, Schmitt thinks her 2022 Lady Titans possess athleticism, quickness, strength, and blocking ability. "We will have to control our first touches on ser ves, and I think we can do that," confided Schmitt. "This is a ver y scrappy bunch, and I really believe we have the capability to chal- lenge for a top three conference spot in the PAC." "We have 11 girls on the roster, with two seniors, four juniors, four sopho- mores, and a freshman. Seniors are Riley Johnson (Right Side) and Alexis Tucker (All Around), while juniors are McKenna Turner (Mid-Blocker), Abbie Deal (Mid-Blocker), Briley Edwards (Set- ter) and Gabby Smitha (Setter). Sophomores are Laur yn Adamson (Outside & All Around), Kyah Frantz (Defensive Specialist), Emily Holtz- meyer (Ride Side & Setter)and Marci Fleetwood (Defensive Specialist). The lone freshman on the varsity team is Lauren Carl (Outside Hitter & All Around). "Without question, we have some holes to fill, but our returnees from last year, and the addition of Tucker, after sitting out last year, along with Carl will make us a difficult team to face each time we take the floor," added Schmitt during the pre-season inter view, "and I just like the make- up of our team. We have good setters, good blockers, and as I have already said, we are going to be a ver y scrap- py bunch." "Teams will have to beat us. We will not beat ourselves." The Titans will again run a 6-2 of- fensive set; however, Schmitt says that on occasion, Gibson Southern could use a 5-1 offensive set. "We are going to be ver y versatile this year, and I think we can do sev- eral things on both the offensive side and the defensive side of the ball to keep opponents off balance," believes Schmitt. Schmitt thinks North Posey will be the team to beat in the PAC, and she sees Tecumseh as a solid challenger to North Posey, along with her own Lady Titans. Gibson Southern opens the 2022 volleyball campaign at PAC foe North Posey in Poseyville on Monday, Au- gust 15, a situation Schmitt would rather not face so early in the season. "We have to open the year with the toughest opponent on our schedule, and it's a conference match to boot. Talk about pressure to open the year!" "It's as tough an opener as one could want," Schmitt finished. The Titans will open the home portion of the season on Thursday, August 18 with Boonville in another conference match-up. The junior var- sity match will start at 5 p.m., with the varsity event to follow. Junior Varsity volleyball The 2022 Gibson Southern junior varsity volleyball team members are, front row (l to r): Pres- ley Dunkel, Maddie Boes, Reese McKannan, Kyah Frantz, Wylei Jordan and Molly Spindler; back row: Marci Fleetwood, Emily Holzmeyer, Madellyn Bingham, Rhylanne Bittner and Sidney Ridens. Freshman volleyball The 2022 Gibson Southern freshman volleyball team members are, front row (l to r): Jaylie Johson, Sofie Velez, Alivia Robling, Carissa Ralph and Lexi Wells; back row: Maggie McEllhiney, Saydee Schafer, Mariska Lienemann, Ella Kirby and Aubrey Offerman. FALL 2022 VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE FRESHMEN ❚ Thursday, Aug. 18 — Boonville — 5 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Tuesday, Aug. 23 — Evansville Memorial — 5 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Thursday, Sept. 8 — Jasper — 5 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Tuesday, Sept. 20 — Tecumseh — 5 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Thursday, Sept. 22 — Evansville North — 5 p.m. at Evansville North ❚ Tuesday, Oct. 4 — Pike Central — 5 p.m. at Pike Central ❚ Thursday, Oct. 6 — Forest Park — 5 p.m. at Forest Park VARSITY AND JV ❚ Thursday, Aug. 11 — Evansville Reitz (Evansville Mater Dei ) — 5:30 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Monday, Aug. 15 — North Posey — 5 p.m. at North Posey ❚ Thursday, Aug. 18 — Boonville — 5 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Saturday, Aug. 20 — Evansville Mater Dei — 10 a.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Tuesday, Aug. 23 — Evansville Memorial H.S. — 5 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Thursday, Aug. 25 — Tell City — 5:30 p.m. at Tell City ❚ Saturday, Aug. 27 — Harrison Invite (Evansville Harrison ) — 9 a.m. at Evansville Harrison ❚ Tuesday, Aug. 30 — Southridge — 5:30 p.m. at Southridge ❚ Thursday, Sept. 1 — Washington — 5 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Tuesday, Sept. 6 — Evansville Reitz — 5 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Thursday, Sept. 8 — Jasper — 5 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Saturday, Sept. 10 — Central Invite (Evansville Central ) — 9 a.m. at Evansville Central ❚ Monday, Sept. 12 — Heritage Hills (Heritage Hills ) — 5:30 p.m. at Heritage Hills ❚ Tuesday, Sept. 13 — Wood Memorial — 5 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Tuesday, Sept. 20 — Tecumseh — 5:30 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Thursday, Sept. 22 — Evansville North — 5 p.m. at Evansville North ❚ Monday, Sept. 26 — South Spencer — 5:30 p.m. at Gibson Southern ❚ Tuesday, Sept. 27 — Mt. Vernon — 5:30 p.m. at Mt. Vernon ❚ Thursday, Sept. 29 — Princeton — 5 p.m. at Princeton ❚ Monday, Oct. 3 — Vincennes Lincoln — 5 p.m. at Vincennes Lincoln ❚ Tuesday, Oct. 4 — Pike Central — 5:30 p.m. at Pike Central ❚ Thursday, Oct. 6 — Forest Park — 5:30 p.m. at Forest Park Rylee Johnson Alexis Tucker The Gibson Southern 2022 varsity volleyball team members are: front row (l tor) Marci Fleetwood, Loren Carl, Gabby Smitha, Briley Edwards and Kyah Frantz; back row: Emily Holzmeyer, Rylee Johnson, Abby Deal, Makenna Turner, Alexis Tucker and Lauryn Adamson.