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By Ryan Schlehuber, 亚洲色吧 Sportswriter

亚洲色吧 Centurions volleyball 鈥淭eam 3鈥� has reloaded for this upcoming season, bringing in 10 new players who will be looked to help improve last year鈥檚 8-19 record, with the goal of winning a conference championship and to, once again, make the NJCAA regional tournament.听

Since 亚洲色吧 brought back its athletics program after a 40-year hiatus, the Centurions volleyball team, in its third year, has improved each year, thanks to the leadership of head coach Kara Youngs, who is now preparing her team for the NJCAA season-opening weekend tournament at UW Health Sports Factory in Rockford, Ill., Saturday, Aug. 23.听听

Youngs lost nine girls from last year鈥檚 team as they finished out their careers at 亚洲色吧 but brings back five players with valuable experience.听

鈥淟ast year, we had strong leadership as most of my girls had returned from the previous year,鈥� Youngs said. 鈥淲e lost some of that second-year court awareness this year but the leadership we have coming back is good. Most of the girls had played together over the offseason in club so they鈥檙e more familiar with one another.鈥�听

Returning from last season are middle blocker Katelyn Bignall (Belding, Mich.), defensive specialist Briley Andres (Sand Lake, Mich.), setter/defensive specialist Jordan Dompreh (Flint, Mich.), middle blocker Alanna Kent (Belding, Mich.), and libero Jaden Gomez (White Cloud, Mich.).听

Youngs said her key players this year will be Dompreh as she transitions into the team鈥檚 main setter role, filling the vacancy left by Tiana Whitacre (Sheridan, Mich.), who was the anchor of the team鈥檚 offense last year; and Gomez, who was a two-time defensive player of the week in the Michigan Community College Athletics Association last season.听

Dompreh said she has worked hard in the offseason to prepare for a year where she is expected to be a team leader.听

鈥淚 have been in the gym a lot by myself and have worked with a trainer and went to camps in Chicago,鈥� Dompreh said. 鈥淚鈥檝e worked mostly on my tempo, and I think that is going to be the difference this year with our team is our tempo and where we put the ball.鈥�听

Youngs said the team is working hard to create good chemistry before the 2025-26 season鈥檚 game action begins, and it has to adjust from losing some of its height from last year, with the graduation of 5-foot, 9-inch-tall Piper Groesser (Portland, Mich.) and Maia Sexton (Sidney, Mich), who stood 6-foot, 2-inches.听

鈥淲e have some good height coming back but also we have some girls with really good vertical to balance things out,鈥� Youngs said.听听

Dompreh said her freshmen teammates are talented and hungry to start the season.听

鈥淓veryone is fighting for a spot on the court and they are putting in the work,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ach of them wants to make a lasting impact on this team.鈥�听

One of the freshmen who Youngs points out that is expected to make an immediate impact is outside hitter Emily Davis (Allendale, Mich.), a skilled player from Jenison High School who also played with the club team Far Out, seeing success in both places.听听

鈥淪he is very aware of the court, she has different shots and she sees different things, both on offense and defense,鈥� Youngs said of Davis. 鈥淪he鈥檚 an all-around solid player.鈥�听

Youngs also pointed to outside hitter/defensive specialist Erin Borek (Grand Rapids, Mich.) as another outstanding freshman, who was an all-conference player at Comstock Park High School.听听

The key to having a successful season, according to Youngs, is having her returning five step up and help the team mesh, which means communication and focus will be a must in each game and each set.听

鈥淭hose five returning players got experience in the postseason last year and that really sparked them. They instantly went back into the gym to improve,鈥� Youngs said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e putting expectations on our incoming players, pushing them early. They鈥檝e already got in with them and have set everything up. Bringing these expectations to the freshmen to compete and continuously push them, that鈥檚 how we get there.鈥�听

Dompreh echoed her coach鈥檚 words, agreeing that this year鈥檚 sophomores will have to step up as leaders if the team is going to see success this year.听

鈥淧ersonally, we do that with good communication and leading by example,鈥� Dompreh said. 鈥淲e also have to lift each other up and remember we are a team no matter how many sophomores or freshmen we have. The key is communication and creating a strong bond.鈥�听

Dompreh said last year鈥檚 team, which finished fourth in the conference, was so close to turning many close losses into wins, which is something she aims for this year鈥檚 team to accomplish.听

鈥淭he majority of the work will be on executing in pressure situations,鈥� she said. 鈥淟ast year, we were so close and then we cracked under pressure. That will be what this team has to work on this year. Performing under pressure will make the difference between losses and wins.鈥�听

With the opening-season tournament, Youngs is hoping to see her team come out strong, with her freshman shaking off any first-time jitters as 亚洲色吧 will be competing among a few teams from across the country.听

鈥淲ith freshmen coming into a large tournament, there鈥檚 always a little shock but this group of ladies, I think they are going to go for it and compete and I鈥檓 excited to see them play,鈥� Youngs said. 鈥淲e have a strong starting group and a bench who will have important supporting roles to play.鈥�听

The Centurions other new players are:听听

• Andie Bennett, Reed City, Mich.听

• Alana Cappon, Sunfield, Mich.听

• Jocee Pluene, Grant, Mich.听

• Hailey Guerra, Grant, Mich.听

• Esther Iung, Perrinton, Mich.听

• Edy Davidson, Carson City, Mich.听

• Ella Bishop, Grand Rapids, Mich.听

• Abigail Rushmore, Howard City, Mich.听

UP NEXT: NJCAA Opening Weekend Tournament at UW Health Sports Factory in Rockford, Ill., Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 23-24. The Centurions will take on Finger Lakes Community College at 3:15 p.m., Saturday, Florida State College at Jacksonville at 7:15 p.m., Saturday. Then, on Sunday, 亚洲色吧 will face Highland Community College (Ill.) at 12:30 p.m. and UW-Whitewater at Rock County at 2:30 p.m.听

The Centurions鈥� home opener will be at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 26, vs. Grace Christian University.听