By Ken Hansard
Kenedi Redden, an outside setter for the Field Kindley Golden Tornado, has one last year to leave her legacy, and she and her fellow seniors fully intend to do so, “I want and need to take on a big leadership role as a senior. We have a very small senior group this year. I think that it is important for all of us to step up and set a good example for the younger girls.”
Success has come slowly for the Coffeyville program, but Redden feels that they are now in a situation where they will be able to see the fruition of the work that they have put in, “I am looking forward to really competing in our league, which is what our team has been building up to the past few years. We’ve always had a young team. Now I feel like the pieces are coming together for us to have success this season.”
Redden worked during the off-season to improve on several aspects of her game, both the physical and the mental, “I focused on my hitting this summer. My main goal is to improve as an all-around player and to maintain positive energy all season. At times in the past, I have struggled with getting down on myself after one mistake. That’s also something we struggle with as a team.” Redden also worked a lot on her serve. She led the team last year in serve percentage, but she continued to work on it because, as she says, “Your serve is the one thing you can always control in volleyball.”
Redden, who grew up around sports and says that “It’s all I’ve ever known,” understands that, along with the work, she needs to enjoy her experience, especially since this is her final run at Field-Kindley, “I am looking forward to all the weekend tournaments because they are a fun bonding experience. Plus, it gets all of us all just a little more time on the court.”
Along with volleyball, Kenedi also wrestles for the Golden Tornado. She placed second in the league during both her sophomore and junior campaigns. She was named to the All-SEK team for her efforts. Redden is a star in the classroom, too, boasting a perfect 4.0 GPA.
After graduation in May, Kenedi plans to attend Kansas State University to major in kinesiology.
