Lady Pioneers make all-district volleyball squad

By DALE STUBBLEFIELD / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Lady Pioneer volleyball players, from left, Candace Stubblefield, Amanda Goad and Kendra Savage earned All-District honors for their performance this season. (Dale Stubblefield photo)

The Warren County Lady Pioneer volleyball team may have finished in last place in the district this year, but three upperclassmen were recognized for their outstanding effort by the District 7-AAA coaches.

Junior Amanda Goad was voted to the All-District team, as she led the Lady Pioneers in passing, kills and serves. Juniors Candace Stubblefield and Kendra Savage received Honorable Mention votes, as Stubblefield led the team in assists and was third in digs. Savage was third on the team in kills.

District 7-AAA is made up of seven teams, which consist of 42 starters. Only 14 players made All-District and only eight Honorable Mention spots were available.

WCHS coach Franklin Fisher noted any All-District selection is an honor, and said the fact Warren County had three juniors receiving votes speaks well of their performance this year on the court.

“Even though we didn’t do that well in the district tournament this year having these three juniors to be selected to All-District is a significant honor and I’m very proud of them,” he said. “It shows that our program is headed in the right direction, and reflects on the hard work the girls have done.”

In addition to the upperclassmen receiving honors, three of the Lady Pioneers’ younger players — McKenna Rhea, Kara Youngblood and Alysa Lankford — earned a spot on the All-District Freshman team.

With all the freshman playing in the district this year the coaches decided to have an all-freshman team for the first time.

“The freshman team was made up of six players, and three came from Warren County. This reflects on the immediate contribution made to the high school by coach Griffith’s middle school program,” Fisher said.