Cloud County Sports
David Wilson, Sports Information Director
CONCORDIA — The Cloud County Community College volleyball program has announced its 2017 recruiting class, all seven of which are in-state talent.
The T-Birds are still looking to bring in one international player at the middle hitter position prior to the start of the 2017-18 school year to join a recruiting class Cloud County head coach Molly Skocny is eager to have on campus.
“I’m really excited about this incoming class of freshmen. One of the important things for us was to bring in a diverse group with different skill sets,” Skocny said. “Skill wise, this group has it going on and should be fun to watch. But we also wanted to bring in individuals with fantastic communication skills and were able to provide the emotion part of the game that we needed to fill. It will be exciting to see what they bring mixed with our group of returners that have seen a lot of playing time and possess good skill sets, as well.”
In addition to bringing passion, energy and effort, Skocny said the skill sets in this year’s class will allow Cloud County to play a more desired, consistent style as it looks to build off a 13-20 overall mark a season ago.
“Last year, we definitely had to get creative with our offenses. We changed several times over the course of the season,” Skocny said. “That was due to our personnel and what we could handle. I’m hoping this year, with the addition of these freshmen and returning sophomores, we can transition into something more consistent that allows for the girls to build team chemistry.”
The New Thunderbirds
Britt Michaelis
Libero | Wabaunsee High School
Skocny: “Britt’s sister (Amanda) played for me a couple of years ago. Her cousin is Cara Flach, who played for us the last couple of seasons. That’s really fun to have established a good relationship with their family. They are supportive and all the kids are hard workers, so that’s a rewarding part of coaching.”
Sydney Mossman
Middle Hitter | McPherson High School
Skocny: “Sydney played high school volleyball with Caitlynn Ruth, who saw a lot of time last year for us as a freshman. They each played for one of our Cloud County Athletic Hall of Fame inductees, Christy Doile. It kind of gives them some look into the history of the program, so that’s another neat characteristic to this recruiting class.”
Erica Gilbert
Outside Hitter | Lacrosse High School
Skocny: “Erica is a tremendous kid, a very hard worker and a strong, smart player.”
Janessa Zenger
Outside Hitter | Kiowa County High School
Skocny: “Janessa’s parents are alumni of Cloud and she is a big finish kid. She’s a player who can get up and finish, plays with a lot of passion and emotion.”
Kamryn Stark
Setter | Skyline High School
Skocny: “Kamryn is an all-around great setter. She possesses the communication skills, the physical skills, and has the natural leadership skills in her back pocket. She can be a force on the court directing her team where to go.”
Cammie Miller
Setter | Washington High School (Walk on)
Skocny: “Cammie has played some club volleyball for (Assistant Coach) Kayla Smith and is a great kid. She’s a hard worker who I think will definitely be able to add to us.”
McKinsey Moody
Defensive Specialist | Basehor-Linwood High School (Walk on)
Skocny: “McKinsey has played very high level club ball and will be a strong addition to our team, as well.”