Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN) - After 16 seasons under Coach Leigh Kiser, the Ironmen Volleyball team has a record to live up to. In those 16 seasons, the team saw 4 Lady Ironmen selected to all-conference, 5 to all-region, 3 to all-state first team, and 1 to all-state second team. Now the team is coached by Athletic Director Matt Powers and two alumni assistants, Coach Owens and Coach Raines. Despite the leadership change, the team plans to keep their showing going strong.
Senior player Kate Mulvey stated, "It's not always about winning. Sometimes it's the connections you make on the team and the friendships and the bonds." This held for the other players as well, who stated that helping and uplifting their teammates is what makes their team. So far, they have put in plenty of hard work and are excited for the season ahead. Thanks to plenty of hard work over the summer, the team feels they can trust each other not just to do their own jobs but also to help where needed on the court.
The team lost some powerhouses in their front line with the graduations of players like Emily Allen and Raylei Gidney last year. Mulvey thinks that the main setter, Isabelle Robinson, is working hard to push herself to fill Allen's role. With much of their starting lineup gone, these girls still believe that through their cooperation and trust, they will fill the shoes left behind.
The players agree that their home court is their favorite. Nixon Gym lacks air conditioning, but this is a secret advantage. Due to the conditioning over the summer, the team can play comfortably on their home turf, while other players may not be used to the heat. When asked who they want to beat, they stated "everybody," so it is safe to say they see a big season ahead.
While the school did look at several candidates, when no one was the right fit, Athletic Director Matt Powers decided to fill the head coach role for the team. The players feel that they have a strong knowledge of the sport and that Powers has surrounded himself with people who understand volleyball well. So they have no doubt he will do great as a coach as well.
Powers commends the girls' positive attitudes and feels they have done great this summer. He stated that he knows that when you do anything, it's about being at 100%, and he has brought this attitude to the team as well. Powers ended the interview by saying that the important takeaway is that every team wants to win, so it's important to compete.
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