By Ken Hansard
Wichita Northwest High junior setter Gyntre Fletcher, like a lot of athletes who are strong in their respective sports, grew up around the game. Fletcher knows exactly where her passion for volleyball began, “Growing up with older siblings, I was raised on either a court or field. I have always had athletic abilities, but I decided my sophomore year to focus solely on my love for volleyball.”
That focus would appear to be paying off for Gyntre. As a sophomore, she led the Grizzlies in aces. She also led the GWAL in assists and was fourth in the state (6A) in assists. All of that, and more, led to her being named 2nd Team All-City. As a junior, Fletcher is already flirting with 1000 career assists.
As for her role on the team, Fletcher says, “I look forward to making the most of my junior season by growing as a player and as a teammate. As the setter, it is crucial that I am a positive leader for my team – during practice, games, and tournaments. I want to do my part for my team advance to state.”
Making a deep run in the postseason will not come without its challenges, but Gyntre feels that she and her teammates are up to the task, “Just being a junior is a big challenge, due to academic challenges and recruitment opportunities. As for the team, we had a bit of a rough start, but we are growing as the season progresses. I look forward to us being a contender for City League Champs.”
Fletcher has good reason to believe that the Grizzlies can contend, and she didn’t just rest on her laurels after her success last year, “This offseason I worked on setter specific training, such as becoming quicker on my feet and jump setting. I did that by going to college skill camps, training with my club coach (Lynne Kaiser), and also by doing personal training at Elite Athletic Training.”
When not playing volleyball for the Grizzlies, Fletcher plays club volleyball for KNVBC Showtime 17-1s. She is also in Lumen Voce Choir and is an active member of For the Culture at Northwest.
As a junior, Fletcher has plenty of time to map out her future, but she is strong in the classroom with a solid 3.5 G.P.A. She does know that she would like to continue her education and to play volleyball at the collegiate level. Tentatively, she would like to pursue a career path in business.
