By Ken Hansard
The Wichita Northwest Grizzlies’ volleyball team finished last season 21-15, with a 13-3 record in the GWAL / City League and falling just short of reaching state after a tough loss to Manhattan at substate. This year, the Grizzlies and junior libero and defensive specialist, Reese Johnson, would like to take that next step. With a new season and a coaching change, Johnson has been able to put her expectations into perspective, “I look forward to growing as a player but more importantly as a team, and I look forward to just having fun. We’ll be adjusting to new coaches and their system; every coach is different and presents a new learning opportunity.”
Reese put up a strong showing herself during her sophomore campaign, ranking third in digs in Kansas 6A. This was impressive enough to earn her a nomination as Second-Team All-City as a libero. Reese was especially proud of this accomplishment because, “The libero’s / defensive specialists in the GWAL are crazy good, so being recognized meant a lot to me.”
As a junior, Reese realizes that, even though her role as a player will not likely change, her role as a leader will, “Aside from the defensive aspects, my role is to communicate and keep up the energy of my teammates to get them ready for the next play. My personal goals are just to get better every day and always push myself and the team to give 110%. As for team goals, I hope to get first in the GWAL and qualify and compete at state with the best of the best and prove people wrong.”
Proving people wrong will entail meeting some challenges that are squarely in the Grizzlies’ path, “Two games I’m definitely looking forward to are Biship Carroll and Kapun Mt. Carmel because they are great teams and always put up such a good fight. They push our team to our full potential, making the games so fun! I am also looking forward to our substate games. Those games give you so much adrenaline and push you to play your best because everybody wants to win and go to state.”
Academically, Reese is a member of the Early College Academy program through Friends University. By the time she graduates, she will have enough hours from Friends to earn her associate’s degree. Reese has been on the Honor Roll each of her first two years of high school.
Reese’s current plans include going to college after high school to play volleyball and to study either kinesiology or forensics. Eventually, she would like to become a criminologist or a physical therapist.
