LAST YEAR: The Trojans had another great year, posting a 31-14-1 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark in the O-K Silver conference, which earned them their second straight conference title. They also won the O-K Silver tournament championship and were runners-up at the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association tournament.

Fruitport also had another exciting run in the Division 2 state tournament, beating Montague and Spring Lake to win its second straight district title, then beating Ionia in regionals before falling to Fremont in a nail-biting regional final match.

SENIOR POWER: New head coach Samantha Fehler, who is taking over following the retirement of longtime coach Nicole Bayle, is inheriting a treasure chest of returning talent, starting with outstanding seniors.

Senior outside attacker Izzy Hanson-Wilbur begins her fourth year of varsity competition with a great track record as an offensive and defensive standout, and will once again lead the Trojan attack. She totaled 374 kills and 499 digs last year,  earned All-Conference, All-District and All-Region honors and was named to the area Dream Team.

Senior setter/attacker Emma Fecher helped fill the crucial setter role last year and did a great job. She as is an extremely versatile and player who has contributed and excelled at numerous positions, and will play a huge role again this year.

Senior defensive specialist/setter Alexa Sweet also switched to setter last year, sharing the role with Fecher and helping the Trojans avoid having a huge gap in their lineup. She brings a lot of leadership to the team and has worked hard to improve her game.

Senior middle/right attacker Addison Bordeaux worked hard to emerge as a major contributor for the team last year and is expected to be a significant force offensively this season.

Senior attacker Joslyn Nowicki also emerged last year as an effective attacker and blocker for the Trojans, and is expected to continue her improvement while taking on an increased leadership role this season.

OTHER RETURNERS: The Trojans had three new girls last year who stepped up, developed quickly and played big roles in the championship season. All are back this year.

Junior Porter Johnson and sophomore Regan Wilson are both talented liberos/defensive specialists who added a ton of defensive skill to the team, and are expected to be even better this season. Johnson earned All-Conference honors and second-team Dream Team honors.

Junior middle attacker Rowynn Miller emerged as a growing force at the net as the season progressed last year, and could be a player that opponents will have a difficult time with this season, both as a scorer and shot blocker.

Miller and Wilson were named to the area Up-and-Coming Dream Team list.

NEW TO THE TEAM: Junior attacker Myla Parker, junior defensive specialist Maycee Hall, junior setter McKenna Joslyn and sophomore attacker Aristyn Thorns are first-year players who will add even more talent and depth to the roster.

TEAM STRENGTHS/CHALLENGES: The Trojans have a tremendous amount of experience and skill that should take them a long way again this season. A challenge will be adjusting to a new head coach and her system.

“We understand that building something together takes time, so we’ve placed a strong emphasis on building trust, developing relationships and getting everyone on the same page,” Coach Fehler said.

FIRST COMPETITION: Friday at the Coopersville Invitational.

COACH COMMENT: “I’m extremely excited about this group of girls and for my first season as the Fruitport varsity volleyball head coach. I’m incredibly grateful for the foundation Nicole Bayle built within this program and excited to continue building on that success. This season feels like a homecoming for me, and I’m looking forward to what this group can accomplish together.” – Samantha Fehler