HOLTVILLE’S THORN TAKES BIGGER ROLE ENTERING SENIOR CAMPAIGN

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

As Holtville’s Reagan Thorn enters her senior volleyball season, the star outside hitter is poised to take a much bigger role on the team.

Thorn, who was an every-point player for the Bulldogs last season, is one of only three seniors on the roster this season and is one of the most experienced players on the team. So this season, while continuing to excel at both the net and in the back row, she has taken on a bigger leadership role. Holtville’s team has more experience than they did a year ago, but the team is still young outside of Thorn and her two senior teammates.

“So last year we only had one senior and there was a group of three juniors,” Thorn said. “Now this year, we’re a group of three seniors and with me being the oldest, I guess I have to lead them because we have so many young girls. I’ve had the leading experience with softball, so it won’t really be hard for me but it is pressuring.”

The Holtville softball team had no seniors on it last year, so with Thorn being one of the lone juniors on the team, she became an impromptu leader.

It worked for the Bulldogs this past spring as the Holtville softball team saw their season turn around from the year before. Holtville’s softball team went from 7-24 in 2021 to 21-16 in 2022.

That was partly in due to the way Thorn and company led the team as players. And now that she knows she can help turn a program around, she hopes to do the same with the volleyball team that went winless last year in area play.

“We had that one really bad season in softball and then came back,” Thorn said. “I think it will be the same in volleyball. We had all those losses and I think that will make us want it more because of how much we lost. When you’re a leader, it’s a little scary losing games. When you lose, it’s kind of like it’s on you but it’s not. It’s a team thing. But then again I’m the leader. I have to help these girls win games.”

While she has seen her leadership role increase and had to adjust from being a quieter personality to someone who is the main girl communicating to the team, she’s also seen an improvement in her play.

She had a good junior season as the team’s outside hitter, but head coach Alison Franklin believes she really shines on the back row.

Franklin said she’s one of the players who can execute in any game plan defensively, and she always executes it beautifully.

Thorn agrees that she is better as a backrow player, but she enjoys the front row more due to the amount of action she gets up there. So she’s seen herself improve up there, and hopes to make a big impact at the net this season.

“On the back row, I think I’m really good at getting the ball to the setter,” Thorn said. “Even if the ball gets shanked by someone or the other team gets a good hit on it, I can run to the ball and get it back to the setter. At the net, I’m really good at blocking and getting the ball over the net. Even if it’s in a bad position or tough to hit I can usually tip the ball over or push it over the net. I’ve really seen myself improve since last year there.”