Eagles Soar: Chesnie King Serves Up Impressive Milestone as Team Sets Sites on Districts
The Grain Valley Lady Eagles Volleyball team is setting their eyes on success as they near the end of the regular season. The Eagles, coached by Tori Squiers, are currently 19-7 with just a few more games left before they enter the postseason. With big wins over tough opponents including Platte County, Liberty, Belton, and most recently—Blue Springs South, the Eagles are currently undefeated in conference.
Last week, the Eagles beat Blue Springs South in four sets. While the win over Blue Springs South was impressive, senior Chesnie King reached a major milestone as she continues to play a key role in the success of this team. On Monday, King recorded her 1,000th career assist. Chesnie already held the school record for season assists when she reached 635 assists during her junior year.
Chesnie stepped up big for the Eagles when Coach Squiers approached her with a new challenge during her junior season. The team needed a setter, and Squiers felt that King’s athleticism and strength in the front row would make her the perfect candidate for the job.
“The thing is, she (Chesnie) has stepped up and owned that role, because she is an athlete, but even stronger leader and team player. It just shows that she’s got that grit to continue to help her team in any way she can and is a force to be reckoned with at the net.”
King’s development over the course of the two seasons has proven that she was ready for the challenge. King believes that accepting the challenge at hand has only improved her game and helped her build her confidence. “Setting was a new position for me to learn last year, so breaking the school record the first year in that role really meant a lot to me,” King explained. “But reaching 1,000 career assists this year also really meant a lot because it not only showed my progress in the sport, but it proved to me that I could do this.”
With a few games left in the season, the team has secured the one seed in the district tournament. “We are really excited to host districts; this is the first time we have hosted during my time at Grain Valley,” said Coach Tori Squiers. “Getting that first seed just sets us up to go into districts with confidence and allows us to continue to build our program,” she continued.
With hopes to finish out the regular season undefeated in conference, the team will face off against Rolla on October 23 at 4:30 p.m. at Grain Valley High School. “Every team is ready, and no one wants to end their year. So we are continuing to make little improvements with everything we do, and we go back and preach those fundamentals as we continue to work as a team.”
The Eagles have two remaining home games on their schedule for the season.