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Danbury nets key honors in volleyball
Published November 27, 2007
In 2007, the Danbury Lady Panther volleyball team returned to the postseason despite several obstacles in its path.
With the announcement of All-District 27-2A selections, several Lady Panthers landed coveted spots.
Danbury was just one of two local Brazoria County squads to go beyond the regular season. The Lady Panthers, with new head coach Glen Johnson and a new system in place, finished 12-11 overall but more importantly wound up second in district with an 8-2 mark.
“A first-year coach and whole new style of volleyball to play is something in our hearts we know we accomplished well this year,” Johnson said.
Johnson took over the program in early August, just a couple of weeks before the Lady Panthers’ first match of the season.
In the short time he had to get to know the players and install his system, the Sugar Land native succeeded even with playing fewer matches than most schools.
“We came into district play with one volleyball tournament and finished with only 23 total matches,” Johnson said. “Whereas most others had 40 or more matches during the season. Our overall record does not show our true success.”
Senior Bianca Chambless was named co-defensive player of the year, while sophomore Bailey Vrazel was pinpointed as the co-newcomer of the year.
“With Bianca being a senior and one of our most vocal players, she still had to learn the leadership role,” Johnson said. “She is a great student of the game in basketball and was learning that in volleyball as well. She has the speed to pick up a tip or roll shot and was a key for us because she could play left or right back besides the libero position. She was just very versatile where ever she played.”
Vrazel came out of nowhere to land as a starter on the outside for the Lady Panthers.
“Bailey came in with great athleticism and is very explosive in her jump,” Johnson said. “She touched highest during our jump drill and fit in nicely as our outside hitter. Her first step to the ball is something that helped her game a lot.”
Brazos took a majority of the other individual awards, including senior Johanna Janis being voted the most valuable player of the district. Also honored were hitter of the year, junior Jennifer Brandt; setter of the year, senior Morgan Hines; co-defensive player of the year, senior Kayla Kolafa; and coach of the year, Deena Kolafa.
East Bernard’s Candice Dusek was co-newcomer of the year with Vrazel.
The Lady Panthers reached the first round of the playoffs, bowing out to Schulenburg 25-22, 25-15, 25-21.
“Some of our goals coming in were wanting to beat East Bernard because they finished third last year and we finished fourth,” Johnson said. “Boling had key injuries and the first time we went five games and upset them at their place. In the turn around, we knew what team they had and they knew what we had, but again we took care of business at our place.”
On the first team were Danbury’s Breanna Lewis, Brittany Kennedy and Jennifer Zacek. Rounding out the squad were Brazos’ Samantha Zapalac and Boling’s Makinzie Baker, Charae Grosser and Ebony Ashley.
Second team consists of Danbury’s Mandy Strebeck; Hitchcock’s Jasmine Beard and Jessica Rojas; Boling’s Katie Womack; Brazos’ Victoria Morris, Shelbie Zotyka and Heidi Vykukal and East Bernard’s Bev Kresta.
Honorable mention honors went to Danbury’s J.J. Kelm and Angela Peltier and Van Vleck’s Amy Griffin.
Joel Luna is the sports editor for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 237-0160.
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