North Callaway volleyball recorded the highest winning percentage in program history last season.

The Ladybirds tied their school-record win total of 12 from the previous year and don’t intend to stop.

Head coach Andrew Klein has coached the program through this resurgence and this senior class will be the first he guided all through high school with this being his fourth season. Klein was proud of what the program accomplished last season, namely the total victories and by placing in all three tournaments the team participated in last year, and thinks more could be in store.

“Our goal is to compete at the highest level that we can,” Klein said. “We expect to continue to improve our season record from years past and keep building the North Callaway volleyball program.”

Having three all-conference players was also on that list of accomplishments. Senior Natalie Shryock and junior Rylee Horstman were two of three and return this season as valuable hitters in the front row.

College-bound Riley Blevins was the other all-conference player and will be missing from North Callaway’s back row.

“Experience in the front row will be a strength of our team,” Klein said. “Our lack of experience in the back row will be something we have to work on.”

Klein said Shryock is an “awesome leader” and is one of the team captains because of that. The “great all-around player” and senior Lakyn Hartley and “vocal leader” and senior Avis Endres will be the other Ladybird captains. Senior Jaden Smithee is a returning setter, and senior Bailey Hill bolsters that front row after recovering from a knee injury that kept her out all last year.

Three key newcomers are sophomores Peyton Boulware, Kayden Sorell and Lydia Smithee, Klein said. Sorrell transfers in from district champion Fulton and should help North Callaway’s defense like the other two.

North Callaway has 22 on the roster this season, including six seniors, three juniors, eight sophomores and five freshmen.