Flying Eagles launch volleyball season amid senior turnover, eye state spotlight

Woodrow Wilson’s volleyball program must replace four senior starters—All-state hitter Anya Hasan, libero Londen Baker, defensive specialist Zoie Vance and setter Makayla Adkins—as the new season begins. Coach Bre Rhodes has assembled a nine-player varsity roster, bolstered by an unexpectedly large freshman intake that adds depth after a smaller lineup last year. Junior Mollie Smith, a former Class AAAA first-team All-state with 343 kills, is projected to be the team’s focal point and a potential Gatorade Player of the Year contender.

Returning seniors Bristol Bloomfield, Reagan Rist, Kaelyn Meadows and Lauren Basham, along with underclassmen Allison Hill, Kami Cogar, Addie Ellis and freshman Abbie Stuart, round out the lineup. The Flying Eagles will open at the Shirley Brown Invitational on Saturday, with pool play against Oak Hill, Hurricane and Capital in one group and Shady Spring, Independence, George Washington and Mount Hope Christian in the other.

Admission is $7, payable by cash or card. Rhodes expressed confidence that the group’s talent and chemistry will drive them toward another state tournament appearance.