Experienced Martins Ferry Squad Feel More Than Prepared For Season
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MARTINS FERRY -- The Martins Ferry Purple Riders start their season on Saturday, hitting the road to face Steubenville in what should be an exciting opener.
On the court Saturday will be plenty of familiar faces for Martins Ferry, who are entering the final year of a big group of seniors who have led the way for the Purple Riders for much of their time in the high school ranks.
"We have seven seniors, five to six of them have played sports together everywhere from basketball, softball and volleyball since they were knee-high to a grasshopper all the way up to now," Martins Ferry head coach Jaela Koller said. "These girls are tightly knit. I’s a good and a bad thing to have, because you also want other girls to get playing time as well. But these girls are fierce. I’m hoping this year is going to be just that, and that’s fierce. I want the world for these seven seniors. They have put their time and dedication into this program, not just volleyball, but basketball and softball. So I want this year to be one heck of a year all the way around for them."
Those seven seniors are SJ Koller, Giana Chirpas, Maddie Lucas, Gracie Lucas, Cadence Oberle, Cam Donahue and Alivia Reese.
Koller, Chirpas and Maddie Lucas are three players who have been mainstays on the Purple Riders team, all three making OVAC 3A First Team last season, with Koller adding an OHSVCA Division V All-State second team commendation, and Chirpas being recognized as an honorable mention.
"We are a very hardworking team," Chirpas said. "As a team, in the summer we do a lot. We’re also a very experienced team. A lot of the seniors and some of the underclassmen have been playing sports together for a while, so our team chemistry is very good.
"I think experience is the main thing," SJ Koller said of this year's squad. "We have a full team of seniors and juniors and a couple sophomores. I think that helps the most, being on the court the longest. We don’t really have any scared freshmen there. We do a lot in the summer, we practice almost every day, so I think it's got us ready for the season."
When it comes to experience, Martins Ferry experienced an OVAC 3A championship and OHSAA sectional championship victory last season, finishing 18-6 in what coach Koller hopes is a foreshadowing of more success come 2026.
"Compared to past years where we had two to three dominant hitters, I feel this year we have seven girls that we can look at at any time to play the front row," Jaela Koller said. "We don’t have a lot of height in any of the 31 girls on my team, but the girls that we do have playing the front row, they do an excellent job and I can put them at middle, I can put them outside, I can put them right side. They aren’t scared-- if I say, hey, I need to switch you to middle. They’re ready to go.
"Defensive-wise, I have two seniors that 100% started just gelling together and making the back row almost like their baby. Nothing hits that ground. That is an excellent thing to have, that communication and that camaraderie to work together in the back row. Everyone likes to have all these juniors and seniors on the team because they’ve been playing for a couple years. We have that this year. We have the knowledge of the juniors and seniors. That’s going to help us as well."
Middle blockers for the Purple Riders this year project as Chirpas and junior Nicole Hammerquist, another player for the Riders who has seen varsity playing time since she was a freshman. Maddie Lucas returns as a dangerous outside hitter. Sophomore London Hoder played last year around the frontline, but seems to have settled into the right side. Reese, Oberle and junior Addie Simpson will share time as pin hitters as well.
Junior Alivia Harkness comes in as an experienced setter, while the back row will see plenty of Koller, Donahue, Gracie Lucas and sophomore Malena Catalino, who will be a defensive specialist. Koller will resume her duties as the team's Libero.
Ferry's season opener at Steubenville is set for a noon start on Saturday-- the first step of a season of big expectations for the Purple Riders' core in their last go-round.
"Hopefully we can win another OVAC championship, district championship, and make a good run in the playoffs," Chirpas said.