Risco ready to roll (again) to success on the VB court

Risco High School volleyball coach Jessie King motions to her players during a recent jamboree match at North Pemiscot High School.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

It’s fairly easy to predict what will unfold throughout the next couple of months within the Risco High School volleyball program – that is if recent history is any indication.

The Tigers will have a lot of success because that is what this program has done, and it is what sixth-year coach Jessie King has done ever since she was a player herself.

“I grew up and (volleyball) was my sport,” King said. “I just love it.”

As a junior and senior at New Madrid County High School, King helped the Eagles win a combined 39 games during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, and that positive mojo has continued at Risco.

The Tiger program has strung together seven consecutive winning seasons, five of which King has been guiding the program. With six seniors on this fall’s roster, earning No. 8 should be an attainable goal.

“We have a group of seniors,” King said of her team’s strength. “I feel like they are carrying a lot of weight (for the program).

“They run this team very well.”

Risco, whose senior class has won 58 games during their careers, will feature seniors Landri Baker, Jaelynn Presley, Lexi Fourthman, Jaelyn Smith, and Jacee Thompson.

The sixth name (for those counting just five mentioned) is Lydia Albritton, who will miss this season due to an ACL tear, and she’ll be missed.

“She was our setter (and) libero,” King said of Albritton.

Risco has been plagued by injuries early and is also going to be without junior hitter Avery Presley for part of the season, as she endured a meniscus tear.

“Avery was one of our leaders in kills last year,” King said.

A positive for King’s group is the fact that Jaelynn Presley is back for her final campaign and isn’t hampered by anything.

“Jaelynn has been hitting middle for us for many years,” King said. “She’ll be one to watch.”

With the injuries, King has moved several bodies around the court, which may take some games to adjust to.

“We’re having to deal with some rearranging and rotation,” King said following a recent scrimmage at North Pemiscot with Hayti, the host Mustangs, and South Pemiscot. “We’ve thrown some people into new positions that they have never played before.

“Some of these girls have never played together at all.”

Risco junior Carly Akridge is going to be one of the Tigers to get into the rotation at setter but with a twist.

“We’re running a 6-2 (alignment),” King explained, “but we’re tweaking it a little bit to where when she is in the front row, she is not playing the traditional right-side position. We’re actually running her in the middle when she is not setting.

“Avery is probably one of our most versatile players,”

The Tigers will open their regular season tonight at Portageville (1-0) at 5:45 p.m.

The Bulldogs, who have won three consecutive MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 titles, opened their season with a 3-0 blanking of North Pemiscot on Thursday.

Risco will play three road games (at Oran on Tuesday and at Campbell on Thursday) before finally hosting a home match on Sept. 6 against Cooter at 5:30 p.m.

“We go to a very small school,” King said, “and these girls are very near and dear to my heart. Watching them do something they love, if I can help them at all with that, gives me a lot of satisfaction.”