HOLLY POND, Ala. — After a solid sophomore season with both the Lady Broncos volleyball and basketball teams last year, Holly Pond’ Kamryn Tankersley is looking to take the next step in her junior year. Tankersley is one of many juniors on the volleyball team and she’s excited to have so much experience on this year’s squad. They also added a new member to the team from Texas, Madi Brown, and the team has been helping her get adjusted to life at Holly Pond.
“We have a pretty strong group coming back this year; most of us are upcoming juniors. We have one senior: Aaliyah Ryan. Having a lot of experience coming back is very important. We all have special talents that we bring to the table and when we put them together, it’s unbelievable,” Tankersley said. “Madi Brown is a new member of our team; she moved here from Texas. She will make a huge impact on our team and help us improve. She will bring a lot to the team. She is tall, good for blocks and she can hit, which is good for the team.”
She added,
“Being a small school like us, it’s not hard to fit in. It’s easy to come in and make new friends. You feel welcomed and I feel like she’ll love being a part of such a special team.”
Kamryn feels so blessed to play for an amazing volleyball coach (Adrien Adams) and has learned so many things from her.
“Playing for my volleyball coach has been amazing. She has not only been there for me just for volleyball. I know I can talk to her any time I need something. She makes us better and definitely shows how much she loves us. She’s a wonderful woman and coach. I can’t thank her enough for all she does,” Tankersley said. “I have learned that volleyball is just a sport and at the end of the day, we all have God. God will always be my number one priority, but she will make sure that we are all okay before we even start volleyball.”
Kamryn has learned a lot from her current and former teammates and feels lucky to have played with so many great players these past few seasons.
“I have learned that no matter what, your teammates will have your back. My shoulder was hurt some through the season and no matter what, my team knew how to help me through it. They encouraged, helped, and loved me,” Tankersley said. “It’s been enjoyable playing with these girls over the past few seasons. We’ve had our good times and bad times, but way better. Playing with such a great group of girls makes the game fun. It makes practice fly by, and the game is so much more memorable.”
The expectations for the Lady Broncos will definitely be high this season.
“We want to first win area. We want to go to regionals and make it to state. We want people to come watch us and support us. We want to be a fun group to watch,” Tankersley said.
As for basketball season, there will be a lot of experience coming back this season for new head coach Mary Lauren Hartline. Kamryn was happy to have played for coach Andrew Kelley during his time as head coach. She has already learned so much from Hartline in her short time so far as head coach.
“Coach (Andrew) Kelley was a great coach and man overall. He taught me a lot of lessons on and off the court,” Tankersley said. “Coach Hartline has been amazing. She has pushed us and believes in us. She will be a great leader and coach. I can’t wait to see how much we improve with her. She brings a lot to the table. She has compassion, a love for the game, and cares for us. She has had us working hard since our very first session with her.”
She added,
“I have learned to never give up. Don’t give up on any play, don’t give up for something you want. You can achieve anything you want; you just have to put your mind to it and then put in the work.”
Kamryn is happy to be playing on a very special team this year and the team’s expectations are sky-high.
“It’s amazing. It’s great to have so much talent on one team that can play multiple positions. This team is definitely special, and the girls are so talented,” Tankersley said. “I want us to improve as individuals and as a team. I want to win area and state. We should keep working and hard work pays off.”
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