Kenston Forest School’s varsity girls volleyball team enters the 2019 season with expectations set quite high.

New Lady Kavaliers Head Coach Brittni Jones, who brings playing and coaching experience to the job, was pleased overall with her team’s 1-2 season-opening performance this past weekend in the Westover Christian Academy tournament.

“They did great,” she said of her players. “We have extremely strong hitters, and their serving is on point. They all bring a lot of experience to the varsity level program, and the more they play together, the better they’re going to get.”

The 2019 Lady Kavs feature five juniors: Austin Dornak, Molly Epperson, Lilly Fuller, Mya Mahaney and Avalon Dougherty.

There are two sophomores on the team: Taylor Maione and Shelby Gunn.

Freshmen team members include Hanna Mahaney and Mackenzie Newcomb, and rounding out the team is eighth-grade Kieren McHugh.

“We’re going to have a great season,” Jones said. “I find it really hard to believe that we won’t compete at the very top during the entire season and finish at the top.”

As for expected leaders, Jones said, “Definitely Mya Mahaney in our setting position, just kind of keeping the team together and rallying them if they get down. And then Shelby Gunn in our middle position, she’s got a killer swing. And then Taylor, she holds our back line down for us, so she’s in there, she’s kind of everywhere, in a sense. So not a lot gets past her. Everybody on our team can swing like I’ve never seen before in any team I’ve coached, so once they figure it out and they play together a little bit more, we’re going to be up there as high as you can go.”