North Callaway volleyball has continued to trend upward.

The Ladybirds won their most games in a season last year and had their first non-losing season with a 14-14-2 record. They have a current streak of three double-digit winning seasons.

North Callaway has 22 girls on the roster this season with two seniors, including all-conference outside hitter Rylee Horstman. Head coach Andrew Klein said this team has shown a lot of depth already. He expects to have 10-12 girls competing for varsity playing time.

“A sophomore or two along with a freshman are set to make contributions right away for our varsity,” Klein said. “Graduating six seniors and four starters from last year makes this year full of upcoming athletes wanting to prove themselves. I fully expect five or six other ‘new names’ to get varsity playing time this year.”

Klein said there will be a “learning curve” with so much turnover, but leadership should carry the Ladybirds through it until they are playing their best volleyball in the final month. He said Horstman will be a good leader on and off the court going into her year as a varsity starter. Outside hitter/middle blocker Alex Craighead and libero Peyton Boulware are juniors who will add to a valuable returning core.

Lauren Pezold is a junior setter who Klein expects to have a bigger role this season.

“Since taking over the program in 2021, every season has seen an improvement in wins and winning percentage,” Klein said. “I expect this year to be no different with a deep team of talented players. Time to achieve a winning season and compete for our first ever conference title.”