Tall Tales, Part 2: KIVA Red 16s 6-6 Smallwood, 6-3 Emmons

They have played for 5th Region rivals their two years in high school, but this past spring brought the two juniors together on the same club team.   Elizabethtown's 6-6 middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='212253' first='Jessica' last='Smallwood'] and Green County's 6-3 [player_tooltip player_id='276179' first='Emma' last='Emmons'] both tried out and made the prestigious Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy (KIVA) 16 Red squad forming an impressive front row with Mercy's 6-0 Mady Yaden. That team has five players in the Prep Dig Kentucky Class of 2026 top 12. Smallwood took the top spot and Emmons came in 12th with Assumption's [player_tooltip player_id='212396' first='Emily' last='Keiran'], [player_tooltip player_id='212400' first='Jillian' last='Bohannon'] and Yaden took the second, seventh and 10th spots respectively.   Over the summer, the team ventured to Orlando for the national tournament. During that trip, Smallwood took a visit and committed to the University of Florida. She led the state with 695 kills and 221 blocks including 211 solo, taking advantage of her size. Smallwood is trying to become a solid all-around player recording 400 digs and 68 aces last year.   Emmons also put together a solid season with 288 kills, 88 blocks including 52 solo, 162 digs and 70 aces. Green County head coach Randa Bohorquez said the Dragons will have the size to potentially drive deeper into the postseason tournament this year.   Elizabethtown has been battling Central Hardin for district and region championships every year in the region since 2017. The Panthers won the 5th Smallwood's freshman year before losing to Bowling Green in the first round of state.   Smallwood has two older sisters she's played volleyball with. Her sister Jenna graduated from Elizabethtown in 2022 and Josie just graduated this past spring.   Green County used to be in the discussion for region championships having last won a second straight in 2014. While the Dragons have won six straight 18th District crowns, they last won a region tournament game in 2015. However, the Dragons did win the 5th Region All "A" crown and went 2-2 in the All "A" State Tournament last year.   The two will be working with experienced setters on their teams this year. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='533345' first='Addison' last='Janes'] returns for Elizabethtown after recording 277 assists last year and senior [player_tooltip player_id='477095' first='McKenna' last='Pyles'] returns for Green County after tallying 755 assists last year.   Both teams played in the Bluegrass Games in Lexington from July 26 to 28. Smallwood, however, could not play because of an injury, but she's back in time for the regular season. Emmons played in the games, but did not take any swings because of an injury.   The two talked about life being tall and being club teammates among other volleyball items.   On growth spurts   Jessica: I would say my growth spurt took place in middle school. I was 5-10 in sixth grade, 6-0 by seventh grade and about 6-3 in eighth grade. Fortunately most of my growing pains happened fifth-sixth grade.   Emma: I don't think I actually ever had a growth spurt, to be honest. I started Kindergarten as the tallest student and today, I am still one of the tallest students in school.   Overcoming coordination issues   Jessica: Luckily, I grew up as a competitive gymnast. Being a gymnast requires being aware of how your body moves, so having that experience as a little kid translated into other sports such as volleyball and basketball.   Emma: I have always made sure to focus on coordination drills when I am at the gym. Doing exercises that work on core strength, flexibility, lateral quickness, and jumping mechanics has enabled me to stay coordinated despite my height.   Adjustments to club, high school volleyball   Jessica: One of the biggest differences I would say there is between club and high school volleyball is the amount of reps you get. I definitely get more reps and game time in club. There are on average about 10 kids on a club team and there are about 25 on a high school team (at least on my high school team), and sometimes, we will have three tournaments a month during club season. So the amount of reps I get on tournament weekends are also a lot.   Emma: The biggest adjustment is the game speed. In club, the game play is so fast. High school is much slower.   Switching clubs   Jessica: Moving clubs is definitely a scary jump, but you have to put trust into your training and the coaches that got you to that point. Then even if you make the team that you want to make, the work doesn't end there. I have been pushed both physically and mentally more than I ever have been being on KIVA 16 red.   Emma: Everything…I mean I worked out with a trainer, I worked out and ran at home, and at practice we were constantly running and moving. Also, you had to earn your spot on that team. I remember at tryouts coach Melissa (Starck-Bean) called me and another girl over to a court all by ourselves. She looked us square in the eyes and said, “Girls, you are battling each other for a spot. Let's see what you've got." I was terrified, but I knew that when I made KIVA 16 Red that I had earned it: there were no handouts. I appreciated my spot on that team because I earned it. Another hard thing was having to travel almost two hours one way for practice. Thankfully my high school was so supportive and allowed me to leave school early on the days that I had practice.   Hitter-Setter connections   Jessica: A big part of the setter/hitter connection is to allow each other to make mistakes. Not every ball my setter sets is going to be exactly where I want it and not every ball I hit will be a perfect attack, and it might be an error. You also have to put down your pride and allow each other to hold each other accountable. If I'm not doing my job as a hitter, I want my setter to point that out and vise versa.   Emma: It's an adjustment going from our KIVA setter to high school. The speed of play is just so different. But me and my high school setter have been playing side by side for several years now so once we get our timing down, we will be good to go.   Funnest part about playing for KIVA 16 Red   Jessica: My favorite part about this last club season was how much we were there for each other as teammates. We went through thick and think together so we knew what each other were going through, and we could have fun with each other!   Emma: I met some of the sweetest girls from the best families in the entire state. We all became so close and I love each and every one of them as if they are family. We have laughed together and cried together. I was afraid that I would not fit in because I was from such a small school from far away, but each and every girl on that team made me feel welcome. It's hard to even put into words how much these girls mean to me. It was also so much fun to get to have the opportunity to play for Coach Melissa. She is a warrior. She not only wants us to be successful on the court but she wants us to mature into successful adults. KIVA 16 Red was more than fun. It was an absolute blessing for me.   Offseason growth   Jessica: I think I mostly grew mentally this offseason. Melissa opened up a whole new world of volleyball and self discipline for me this last club season.   Emma: Offseason?? There really is no offseason for me. I go from high school season to club season then back to high school. I think that I grow in different ways in each atmosphere. In high school, I grow by trying to support and help younger players be the best high school player that they can be. In club, I grow by having us all push each other for the same end goal of playing in college.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/12/Screen-Shot-2022-12-12-at-12.25.39-AM.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-265475" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: [player_tooltip player_id='212253' first='Jessica' last='Smallwood'] from Robert Catlett Photography</figcaption></figure>   Putting power into kill attempts   Jessica: I partially agree to that (starting from the feet and going up). Yes, the approach is important. You have to have a good arm swing and stay low in your approach to be as aggressive as you can once you're in the air. Also, I have been working outside practice a lot, too. I have been going to Primal Sports Training twice a week for the last couple months now and have seen a huge difference in the amount of power I have during my arm swing.   Emma: The key is repetition. I can not tell you how many box jumps and squats I have done. Same with hitting a volleyball off of a wall over and over in order to get that muscle memory. Eventually, you put all of the motions and pieces together and you get an explosive attack on the ball.   On overcoming injuries   Jessica: During my injury, I attended every practice and tournament I could at KIVA and still tried to learn as much as possible during practice. I also wanted to make sure my teammates knew I was in the journey with them even though I was still injured. With that, I still felt mentally prepared while I was gradually jumping into playing volleyball.   Emma: Injuries are a part of any sport, but I am back 100 percent.   Playing with sisters   Jessica: Amazing! I loved playing volleyball with my sisters and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. We also could relate with each other because we knew what each other were going through.   Next Steps for Elizabethtown   Jessica: One of the keys is that we all need to have one common goal, and that goal is to win the region championship. Every practice, that needs to be our motivation and to get at least one percent better every day.   Choosing University of Florida   Jessica: I chose Florida first and foremost because of their culture. I could see their culture throughout our calls with each other. I didn't even have to ask about it. They also have players who have similar values as me and so we can push each other not only to be better players on the court, but also better people off the court. Along with their culture, I love their staff. The coaching staff cares about the person before the player and I could just tell that from my calls with them. I am so thankful for this opportunity to live out my dreams at the next level and couldn't be more grateful!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepdig.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/08/EmmaEmmons.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-591674" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='276179' first='Emma' last='Emmons'], Green County</figcaption></figure>   Next steps for Green County   Emma: I think it all comes down to dedication and sacrifice. What are we willing to do to get better as a team? Are we willing to do whatever it takes to win a regional championship? Things such as individual workouts, meal plans, and daily conditioning? It will take those things to defeat Elizabethtown and Central Hardin at this day and time.   Example for teammates and younger kids in Green County   Emma: We are so lucky at Green County to have a coach with collegiate volleyball experience in Coach Bohorquez. I try to be an example by first and foremost striving to be a good teammate and student athlete. I also hope that I set the example as being a “coachable” player. That is very important…are you coachable? A bad attitude will override talent every day of the week, so I always try to stay positive and supportive on and off the court. My passion is volleyball and I hope that my career at Green County High School and beyond will encourage younger girls to see the opportunities that volleyball has to offer.    Smallwood does an amazing job at the net using her size to her advantage. She uses her athleticism to pound down balls that even strong liberos can't dig up. She reads setters efficiently and does a great job pairing up with fellow hitters to land tough blocks. She can tip balls to the sides of blocks if not hit over them. She can hit balls from both the front and back row. She hits solid line drive serves that paint the line making it tough for back row players to tell if they are staying in or going out. Smallwood is trying to become a solid all-around player constantly hustling after balls.     Emmons controls the net well with her height. Defenders have a difficult time digging up her shots to the opposite line. Emmons is not afraid to take force off her swings so they hit the targets. If she does not block balls, she at least deflects them in the air so her teammates can make plays. Emmons continues to improve her defense and serving.

They have played for 5th Region rivals their two years in high school, but this past spring brought the two juniors together on the same club team.