AMBOY – Nicole Jones is back for her second year as the Amboy volleyball coach.

Last year she had her daughter Elly Jones and a list of players she viewed as daughters.

This year may be different with unique names and faces, but she still has some familiar players and a team full of Clippers she believes can be successful.

“We have four seniors and they’ve played varsity volleyball for the last three or four years. The junior and the sophomore classes are larger classes, so the numbers are promising for a couple of years to come,” Jones said. “We also have nine freshmen this year. We have large classes coming through Amboy volleyball, which is a good thing.

“I think one thing I took away from last year as something I needed to work on was communication with the girls. I need to be on the same level. I need to talk to them as teenagers instead of business professionals. Going forward, I think the relationship between coach and players is very important.

“I’m hoping I’m building a great relationship with my players.”

The complete team, freshman to senior has 29 players in uniforms.

This includes the 17-player varsity team of seniors Haleigh Stenzel, Tyrah Vaessen, Emersyn Noble, and Gloria Parker, juniors Grace Althaus, Kierra Karlson, Brittlyn Whitman, Jadyn Whelchel, Ellie McLaughlin, Alyvia Whelchel, Jillian Anderson, and Peyton Payne, and sophomores Alexa McKendry, Morgan Kreiser, Maddie Althaus, Lili Leffelman, and Aubrey Wells.

“I told the girls at the first practice, ‘We had six seniors leave and we have big shoes to fill. I’m looking for leaders.’ I’m hoping I have a senior and a junior step up,” Jones said. “Hopefully, it’ll follow with leaders emerging from the sophomore and freshman class also. It’s good to have a leader in every class. It’s great if we have two leaders in every class.

“I can say something to the girls, and they say, ‘OK.’ But when their peers say something, that makes a difference. I think leaders are going to be key for me this year.”

The early season starting lineup is Vaessen and McLaughlin as outside hitter, Karlson and Anderson in the middle, Jadyn Whelchel at setter, and Noble at libero.

Last year’s assistant coach Reaine Wilson is now the head coach at Hiawatha.

This move brings in Ashley Medlin as Jones’ assistant for both varsity and junior varsity, and Sean Shepard as the Amboy freshman coach.

“Ashley is a new hire at the high school as a history teacher. She just graduated college, so she’s younger and can relate to the girls,” Jones said. “She doesn’t have volleyball assistance, but she has coaching assistance. Sean is a teacher at Amboy Junior High School. He’s played volleyball for many years and his dad was a Bureau Valley coach years ago.

“I’m going to be the head coach for both varsity and junior varsity with Ashley as my assistant. The reason we’re doing it that way is because I have a large junior and sophomore class, and a smaller senior class. This is a two-year process. I need the girls to play together and not play by class.”