West Stanly volleyball claims fourth straight conference crown
Published 3:22 pm Friday, October 21, 2022
- The West Stanly Colts claimed the 2022 Rocky River Conference regular season and tournament titles this season. From left, front row: Rory Huneycutt, Merrin Kinley, Kelsey Parker, Maycee Williams and Scarlett Griffin; back row: assistant coach Gracen Osborne, Grace McIntyre, Gracie Huneycutt, Emma Rhodes, Stella Bondurant, Addi Barbee, Saylor Edwards, Payton Watson, Head Coach Stephanie Dutton. (Contributed)
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For the past four seasons, the Rocky River Conference volleyball season has been dominated by the West Stanly Colts.
The current year is no exception as the Colts made it four straight conference regular-season and tournament titles, including Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Anson in the finals of the tournament.
West Stanly (20-6) has finished four straight seasons going undefeated in conference play, led on the team in kills by a trio of sophomores. Rory Huneycutt has 209 kills for West with Addi Barbee adding 206 kills and 218 digs, and Stella Bondurant has 206 kills.
The offense is paced by senior Maycee Williams with 807 assists this season while senior RRC Player of the Year Kelsey Parker has 286 digs as the team’s libero. Williams recently broke the 1,000-assist plateau for her career, while Parker is the first player in the history of West volleyball to record 1,000 digs.
West has three seniors this season including Williams, Parker and Emma Rhodes (163 kills). Unfortunately for the Colts, Rhodes suffered an ankle injury previously and is out for the rest of the season.
“Our offense is very young this year, our top three hitters being all sophomores is pretty awesome,” head coach Steffi Dutton said.
West has two freshman hitters in Payton Watson and Saylor Edwards whom Dutton said “are stepping up big time in the postseason.”
The Colts’ coach added two defensive specialists, sophomore Merrin Kinley (138 digs) and junior Gracie Huneycutt (208 digs, 66 aces), “have been crucial for us defensively as well.”
Dutton, coaching in her final season with West Stanly, said this season she could honestly say, “every single person on the team plays such an important part in our success. Numbers do not do it justice. This has definitely been one of my favorite years coaching and I’m glad to be ending my coaching career at WSHS with this group.”
West Stanly opens the 2A state playoffs as the No. 6 seed and hosts No. 27 North Surry (12-12) Saturday at 3 p.m. in the opening round.
About Charles Curcio
Charles Curcio has served as the sports editor of the Stanly News & Press for more than 16 years and has written numerous news and feature storeis as well. He was awarded the NCHSAA Tim Stevens Media Representative of the Year and named CNHI Sports Editor of the Year in 2014. He has also won an award from Boone Newspapers, and has won four North Carolina Press Association awards.
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