The Baxter Springs High volleyball team won four games last year over the course of the season. The Lions, under the leadership of senior middle blocker Chesny Billings, have already won 15 games this season, and it is still early in October.
Billings, an Honorable Mention All-League (CNC) nominee last year, was named the Lions’ team captain prior to the beginning of the season, “As a team captain, I see myself as a leader and a role model for the underclassmen. At the start of the season, I set a goal to get better every day and to help us come together as a team to improve our skills and win a few more games.”
With that mission accomplished, Billings and her teammates are ready to move on to their next goal, “Over the offseason, I really worked on my hitting. I worked on a lot of timing skills and making sure to get on top of the ball and snap through it. I definitely wanted to improve on my stats, but always with the idea of improving as a team. I feel like we’ve done pretty well to this point in the season. We still have a few things to perfect before substate, but we’re definitely looking to make a deeper run this year.”
When asked about gaining nominations for All-CNC last year, Chesny had this to say, “My love for sports comes from my dad. He was a college basketball player and really pushed me when I was younger so I could be where I am now. I was proud of earning Honorable Mention All-League. It really was a big accomplishment for me because only one other player on my team received a league honor. It made me feel like the coaches around the league could see and appreciate my talent.”
When volleyball season finishes, Chesny will return to the hard court to play basketball for the Lions, and in the spring, she plays softball. When not competing for the Lions, Chesny is active in her school’s student culture. She is a member of the prestigious National Honors Society, the Spanish Club, Science Club, and she is the student body President for Baxter’s Student Council.
Chesny is also a standout in the classroom for Baxter Springs, boasting a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. Following graduation from high school, she plans to continue her education collegiately, but she is currently undecided as to which school she would like to attend. She is also still weighing options for career paths.
