Eager to begin his first year as Wright City volleyball coach, James Baker believes he is taking over a program poised for immediate success.The Wildcats have improved their win count in each of the past three seasons.Baker says the leadership has distinguished itself from the get-go.Senior Emily Janowski is a four-year varsity contributor, asserting herself as a facilitator on the floor.“Emily is going to be the key leader of the team,” said Baker. “She’s already displayed that through practice.”Janowski was the only Wright City player to compete in every match last season, recording a team-best 99 kills on 237 attacks. She had 18 assists and three blocks, adding 15 aces.Baker expects junior Abbie Nitchman to also be a leader, elevating her contributions after making 25 kills and 10 blocks last season.Crystal Kempernotle will be joining Janowski as an outside hitter.Early on, however, the Wildcats’ offense will face a shakeup. Wright City’s plan to switch to a 6-2 (with two setters) will have to be put on hold as setter Sam Benson misses the first few weeks of the season with an ankle injury.“We were going to run a 6-2 before with two setters, but now we’ll have to switch up and do a 5-1,” said Baker. “So, that definitely changed the plan for the season opener.”The Wildcats will debut with high expectations at the Warrenton Jamboree on Aug. 19.“I’m very anxious to get the season going,” said Baker. “The girls have been practicing hard and doing a lot of different important aspects of the game.”He does have the services of junior setter Amber Schulte, who recorded 106 assists last season. Benson was the team leader at 140.“We’ve got a lot of juniors, which is encouraging knowing we aren’t going to lose more than one player after this season,” said Baker.Juniors Abbie Nitchman and Keesha Thompson will play the middle hitter roles, while junior Sydnee Horneker will serve as libero.The leader in the back row will be sophomore Amy Janowski, who returns after considerable experience last season. She had 48 digs and 143 serve-receives and 12 aces on 136 serves.Joining her will be freshman DeAsha Briner and sophomore Anna Murri.“I think one of the big things is having a positive attitude,” said Baker. “They’ve displayed that they are all capable of leading.”Having coached the middle school team last season, Baker is familiar with the talent entering high school. He also expects newcomers Taylor Brewington and Leslie Meyers to make an immediate impact.“They’re very hard-working and dedicated,” said Baker. “They like to get as much extra practice as possible. It’s a very big improvement since they’ve started.”Baker realizes the bar has been set high, and he isn’t cutting himself any breaks during his inaugural season.“I’d like to see a few more wins compared to last year,” said Baker. “One of the goals I have is to avenge losses to teams from last season.”