New Plymouth gears up for new season

By Ray Rodriguez - Argus Observer
Sunday, August 26, 2007 2:37 AM PDT

New Plymouth - Experience is the name of the game for the New Plymouth Pilgrim volleyball team.

Stacked with seven seniors, two juniors and a sophomore, time is running out for the upperclassmen to claim a state championship.

If the Pilgrims do win a state championship they will do so with new head coach Paula Leppert.

Leppert brings four years of junior varsity experience to the table as she take over the reins for the departed Craig Mefford.

Leppert inherits a solid core of players, who bring experience and leadership to the table. Add on some returners at key positions and New Plymouth has the right mix for some major moves in the tough Western Idaho Conference.

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Setter Kayla Spain makes a return and she will set the table for Shianne Edmunson and Alisha Shipman. Brittney Warren, Rebecca McConaha, Krista Ducharme and Macee Cole also bring versatility to the mix, filling in spots on different areas of the court.

Shipman, a second-team all-WIC selection in 2006, racked up 223 digs, 121 assists, 56 kills and 44 service aces, while serving at a 96 percent clip for the Pilgrims.

Shianne Edmunson, who was voted co-MVP along with Shipman, led the team with 92 kills and 14 solo blocks. Cole, who was first-team selection, totaled a team-leading 235 digs, 81 kills and was successful in 94 percent of her serves.

All three will play huge roles for the Pilgrims.

“My seniors are amazing floor leaders as well as leaders by example,” Leppert said. “They do a nice job of communicating and they incorporate that into team play. They not only lead by example, but they lead by voice. They walk the walk, they talk the talk and everybody follows in with that.”

Juniors Lauren Burnside and Whitney Hodges bring athleticism and depth, while sophomore Sienna Edmunson regains her slot as middle blocker.

Burnside moves from the setter position to middle blocker and Hodges returns to the right side as a hitter.

“So far they are doing awesome,” Leppert said. “Early on, they brought their aggressive game, which we really need from them. They mesh well. We have a good chemistry on the team. They are all good friends as well as players and that just works so well.”

New Plymouth starts the regular season with a home date against Weiser Aug. 28 and starts WIC league play at Marsing Sept. 11. The Pilgrims host rival Parma Sept. 18 and end the season at home against Melba Oct. 11.

“We expect a lot from these girls,” Leppert said. “They are very experienced and they have played in many tough games. We play in a tough conference, so we have to move our level of play up because the level of play in our conference is very high.”

Even with the tough 15 - game regular season schedule and three high-level tournaments, Leppert is optimistic her team can make some noise.

“I really just try to approach it as a day-by-day experience,” she said. “We set team goals and those are my goals as well. I just want to achieve goals with the goals and that is a step-by-step, day-by-day process.”