The Lady Indians have consistently made the playoffs in recent years, but this season, the team looks like it could go even further.
- Choctaw is off to a 5-2 start, currently the No. 2 seed in the region, and has already picked up a statement win over defending regional champion South Walton. The Lady Indians were also reclassified to Class 4A this year after spending recent seasons in Class 5A.
“Our goal is to be No. 1 in 4A and do what South Walton did last year and try to make the Final Four,” Head Coach Andy Faulkner said, noting South Walton will be a factor all season. “They have a couple people out, and when they come back, they’re going to be tough again at the end of the year.”
The heart of this Choctaw team is a strong middle line of Janyia Brown and Tishelle Bowles. Brown has 55 kills, and Bowles has 49. Outside hitter Bradleigh Covington has added 40 kills, offering strong support outside the middle.
“The two middles are playing really well. Obviously we feed them a lot if you look at the stats, and Bradleigh’s doing a good job on the outside as well,” Faulkner said. “But we’re looking for a little bit more people to step up and get some kills for us.”
Annabelle Bexley has provided value as a do-it-all threat, with six assists, 57 digs and 24 kills so far. Libero Gabriella Blackstock has been anchoring the back row, tallying 82 digs and 13 assists.
“She’s a beast,” Faulkner said regarding Blackstock.
Khloe Brockett has become a force at the net, recording 13 blocks on the season, including five against Destin on Sept. 3.
- “Khloe’s blocking really well for us right now,” Faulkner said. “Now we’re looking for her to start getting some more kills.”
Overall, Faulkner is impressed by the team’s ability to win games that could go either way, pointing to not just the South Walton victory but a win over Pace as well.
“We’ve won half the ones I call tossups, that could go either way,” he said. “If we keep doing that and win the ones we are supposed to win, then I think we’ll be in a good spot for playoffs.”
Still, Faulkner sees room for growth when it comes to cleaning up mistakes.
“We just make too many errors, and we’re not a young team. We’ve got a lot of juniors and seniors playing, so we really need to clean up the errors.”
Either way, it looks to be another strong year for Choctaw volleyball.
