The 2024 volleyball season for Greenwood High School ended with a first-round loss in the state tournament, a disappointment for a program accustomed to deep playoff runs, and in most years, a legitimate shot at reaching the state championship game. But last season started under a cloud with Head Coach Jennifer Golden sidelined due to back surgery. She was a real trooper and returned as quickly as possible, but she missed much of their pre-season work, and that’s never good for any team. But now it’s 2025 and a new season is about to start with a new team and a new head coach.
What? No, Coach Golden has not retired, resigned, or been replaced. Rather, she is back with a new enthusiasm for her job after getting healthy, putting her back troubles behind her and dropping 40 pounds over the past few months. The new-look head coach is beginning her 24th season at the helm of the Lady Bulldogs, winning three state titles during that time, reaching the finals eight other times. Greenwood’s last state championship came during the Covid season of 2020.
The GHS roster has six seniors, Anna Grace Dedmon, Lorelai Graham, Alyssa Lovell, Janie Witherington, and Raylee Wagoner. The junior class has nine members including Addi Chaplin, Molly Lunney, Taylor Carson, Hadley Webb, Brooklyn LeQuieu, Alba Moguel Leal, Gracie Nast, Abrey Jureka, and Anniston Kennedy. The sophomore class is the biggest with eleven members. They are Paige Boyd, Rebekah Voris, Alyssa Lowe, Maylee Bethel, Anna Morgan, Millie Wallace, Rylee McAdams, Sarah Parmenter, Emma Helms, Addi Webb, and Bella Meyers.
With the season already underway and ten matches behind them, including their opening benefit match against Rogers, the GHS girls are 6-4 (5-4 officially) overall, and many of those matches were against higher classification schools like Fayetteville, Bentonville-West, Springdale Har-Ber, and Fort Smith Northside. But that tough schedule is by design to toughen the Lady Bulldogs for the rigors of conference play, which begins this week against Siloam Springs and Russellville. As always, Coach Golden is setting the stage for success in league play and in the postseason.
As usual, the senior class will be a key factor in the team’s success this season. “I think we graduated seven seniors last year,” said the coach. “But this year’s group is pretty solid. Anna Grace Dedmon will return as a starting middle hitter. Lily Johnson returns as a starting right-side hitter, and Alyssa Lovell is a returning starter on the back row. She will be our libero this year. Lorelai Graham, Janie Witherington, and Raylee Wagoner could also be in the starting rotation.”
As for starters among the junior class, Coach Golden said, “There’s so much parity on this team this year. We’re still looking at the starting lineup.” Asked about the quality of that parity and depth, she said, “It’s really high. I guess it’s a [good] problem to have when we have everybody pushing each other the way that we are.” According to the coach, Addi Chaplin, Abrey Jureka, and Anniston Kennedy are the most prominent juniors with a chance to start or play significant minutes.
There are also a couple sophomores who have caught Golden’s eye. “Rebekah Voris transferred in from Fort Smith Southside last year right after Thanksgiving, so she’s been with us during the off-season, summer, and into the pre-season, and she’s fighting for a spot on the outside. She’s actually a cheerleader now as well. Rylee McAdams is actually a returner. We pulled her up last year when [senior] Anna Forbis went down, and she played in the state tournament as a freshman. She will be returning in that middle position. Emma Helms is an outside hitter who is making a lot of noise and is looking for a spot as well. And I could probably throw in Bella Meyers. She flipped a switch recently and is making a lot of noise.”
Physically, the Lady Bulldogs are not particularly tall. There are no six footers on the team as in years past, but there are some good leapers. “We are super athletic,” said the coach. “Anna Grace Dedmon is probably our highest jumper. She may be 5’9” but she plays like a six-footer. We’ve got a couple [players] at 5’10”, but that’s about it.”
Asked about her team’s strengths and weaknesses in the early going, the coach said, “It’s one of those things you just see as the season goes on. Compared to last year, I think our offense will be a little stronger in putting the ball away. Last year we probably had one of the best defenses we’ve ever had as far as service return percentage and digging balls, and I feel like we’re going to be pretty good defensively again. So front row versus back row, we are better overall, but it’s early in the season, and it will get better. We definitely have the tools.”
Asked about the conference race, Golden said, “We finished fourth last year. Shiloh Christian won it, then Van Buren and Farmington all made the tournament. There were a lot of factors that went into last year, and I blame myself. When I missed a huge chunk of the pre-season and the first month of school, the kids didn’t have the consistency of having me around. It’s not that the other coaches did a bad job. They did everything they could. But I feel like I kind of let them down, though I know it wasn’t my fault. But I took that with a grain of salt and moved past it. We’re glad that’s behind us.
“But I think [conference] will be pretty competitive this year too. Siloam Springs is always knocking at the door, but Alma had quite a few players move with a coaching change at Van Buren, so I’m not sure we’re they will sit. They were still very competitive at team camp. I don’t think Harrison or Russellville are quite where they need to be. So, I would say the [same] four of us, plus Alma and Siloam Springs,” said the GHS head coach, sizing up the 5A West league race. “I would say Shiloh is the favorite, since they won state last year. They’re still pretty tough, but if they finish above .500 this year, they will move up to 6A.”
Asked about any surprises among her players so far, Golden said, “Usually it’s pretty clearcut, but it’s been a really competitive summer with the team camps we’ve gone to and even in our practices. I wouldn’t say that anyone is surprising me, but I’m happy to have the fight coming out of them. I do feel like we have a lot of depth. Rotating kids in and out and starting a different lineup in just about every game [in team camp], the level of play sometimes will drop, but I didn’t see that as much this summer.” Asked about team chemistry, Golden was quick to say, “It’s probably the best we’ve had in a long time.”
So, one of the most senior and successful high school volleyball coaches in the state is looking forward to a different kind of season than in 2024. Solid experience and good leadership among her seniors, plus some talented juniors and sophomores and overall athleticism all bode well for another stellar fall of GHS volleyball. The players have their head coach back, fully healthy and ready to lead them back to the playoffs, and with a lot of hard work and a little luck, maybe a shot at a conference championship and/or a deep postseason run or even another state title. Go Lady Bulldogs!