08/11/2026
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New Coach, Same Expectations
Logan Volleyball Ready to Build on Championship Standard
By KEVIN DUNIGAN
THE SPORTS PAGE
LOGAN — There will be a different Kern leading the Logan Lady Chieftains from the sideline this fall, but the expectations surrounding the program haven’t changed.
Kacy Kern takes over as Logan’s head varsity volleyball coach for the 2026 season, succeeding his brother, Kris Kern, who left behind one of the most successful two-year stretches in program history before accepting the head coaching position at Glenville State University in West Virginia.
The Lady Chieftains went 21-3 in 2024 and followed that with a 19-7 campaign in 2025, winning back-to-back Division II district championships while posting a combined 40-10 record.
Now it will be Kacy Kern’s turn to lead a program that has established a championship standard.
And while the coaching transition marks the beginning of a new chapter, Logan enters the 2026 season looking much more like a program ready to reload than one preparing to rebuild.
The Lady Chieftains return a combination of experienced seniors and talented underclassmen, headlined by sophomore setter Lila Kern and senior outside hitter Addie Henestofel.
There are significant pieces to replace following the departures of Landis, Pence, Muncie, Nihiser and Harrah, all of whom were key contributors and starters for Logan.
But if the summer and preseason are any indication, the next group of Lady Chieftains appears ready for its opportunity.
Logan won the Logan Spikefest for the first time in school history this summer and followed that accomplishment by winning the Glenville State University Team Camp, going undefeated against a 14-team field featuring programs from Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.
For a program coming off 40 victories and two district championships in two seasons, those summer accomplishments only added to the expectations surrounding the 2026 Lady Chieftains.
And those results didn’t happen by accident.
Logan’s players point to an offseason filled with strength training, conditioning, open gyms and skill development as the foundation for what they hope will be another championship-caliber season.
Sophomore setter Lila Kern believes the emphasis wasn’t simply on players getting better individually, but on the Lady Chieftains becoming better collectively.
“The goal we had this off season was to get stronger, not just as individuals, but as a team,” Kern said. “My expectations for this season are that we keep building on all of the work we have done during the pre-season and keep improving.”
Kern will be one of the centerpieces of Logan’s lineup after putting together an outstanding freshman season.
She earned First Team All-OCC honors and was named the Division II Southeast District Offensive Player of the Year.
Kern also led all divisions of the Ohio Capital Conference in assists per set as a freshman and was the top-rated freshman setter in the state of Ohio in assists per set.
She enters her sophomore season as one of three team captains, joining seniors Allie Horn and Henestofel.
Henestofel gives the Lady Chieftains another decorated returner on the outside.
The senior outside hitter earned Honorable Mention All-OCC recognition last season and was named Second Team Division II All-Southeast District.
With several experienced players gone from last year’s district championship team, Henestofel and the rest of Logan’s senior class will take on an even larger leadership role.
That group includes Gracen Grow, Rylyn Enderle, Lilly McKee, Horn, Taylor Wadsworth and Henestofel.
Horn, who will anchor Logan’s defense from the libero position, said the Lady Chieftains have invested countless hours preparing for the season.
“Our team has put in countless hours of dedication during the off-season,” Horn said. “Numerous hours of strength training, conditioning, open gyms and extending our skill development all leading us in to this season.
“Every practice has brought us closer together and helped us build the confidence we need to compete at a high level as a team. My goal as a senior is for my team to play with intensity, trust one another, and continue improving every time we step on the court and to make this season one to remember.”
Wadsworth has witnessed that same commitment throughout the summer.
According to the senior outside hitter, Logan players were given 89 opportunities during the summer to show up, work and improve.
“This Summer we had 89 opportunities to come and show up to do hard work to get better for the season,” Wadsworth said. “Almost everyone showed up and put in that work and took advantage of that to get better.
“My expectations are very high for this season to be a memorable one as we continue to grow as a team and as individuals.”
That level of participation could prove particularly important for a Logan team that will need new players to emerge after losing several important pieces from last year’s lineup.
The Lady Chieftains have six seniors, but they also have an equally large sophomore class that could have a significant impact on the season.
Along with Kern, Logan’s sophomore group includes middle hitter Estelle Anderson, right side Olivia Walton, defensive specialist Brelyn Edgar, outside hitter/right side Rylee Stephenson and right side Bella Morris.
Freshmen Lillian Buckalew, a middle hitter, and Taryne Spencer, a right side/setter, round out the 14-player varsity roster.
That gives Logan a roster consisting of six seniors, six sophomores and two freshmen.
For Kacy Kern, one of the biggest challenges will be blending those pieces together while stepping into a program accustomed to playing deep into the postseason.
There will undoubtedly be changes.
There are five significant contributors to replace. Younger players will be asked to accept larger roles, and a new head coach will begin putting his own imprint on the program.
But Kacy Kern isn’t taking over a program searching for an identity.
He is taking over one that has won 40 matches over the last two seasons and has ended each of those seasons by raising a district championship trophy.
The players who remain understand what it took to get there.
And throughout the summer, the Lady Chieftains have shown little indication that they intend to lower those expectations.
Winning the program’s first Logan Spikefest championship provided an early indication of what this group could accomplish.
Going undefeated to win the Glenville State University Team Camp against teams from three states provided another.
Neither accomplishment will count toward Logan’s record when the regular season begins.
But both provided valuable experience for a roster that needed to begin discovering how all of its new pieces fit together.
The Lady Chieftains will still have questions to answer.
How quickly can they replace the production lost from last year’s team?
Which younger players will emerge?
How quickly will the new rotation develop?
And how will the program transition from one Kern to another?
Those answers will come as the season unfolds.
What already appears clear is that Logan isn’t approaching 2026 as a team satisfied with what it accomplished over the previous two seasons.
The Lady Chieftains want more.
After going 40-10 and winning consecutive district championships, the standard has been established.
Now a new coach and a new group of Lady Chieftains will get their opportunity to see how far they can carry it.
The coach is new.
The roster will look different.
But the expectations in Logan remain very much the same.
2026 LOGAN LADY CHIEFTAINS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL
Head Coach — Kacy Kern
Assistant Coach — Emma Lindsey
1 — Gracen Grow, Sr., DS
2 — Estelle Anderson, So., MH
3 — Rylyn Enderle, Sr., RS/MH
4 — Lilly McKee, Sr., Setter
5 — Olivia Walton, So., RS
6 — Allie Horn, Sr., DS/Libero — Captain
7 — Brelyn Edgar, So., DS
8 — Taylor Wadsworth, Sr., OH
9 — Rylee Stephenson, So., OH/RS
10 — Lillian Buckalew, Fr., MH
11 — Lila Kern, So., Setter — Captain
12 — Taryne Spencer, Fr., RS/Setter
13 — Bella Morris, So., RS
14 — Addie Henestofel, Sr., OH — Captain
KEY RETURNERS
Lila Kern — Sophomore, Setter
Kern returns after a breakout freshman season in which she earned First Team All-OCC honors and was named the Division II Southeast District Offensive Player of the Year.
She led all divisions of the OCC in assists per set and was the top-rated freshman setter in Ohio in assists per set.
Already one of the area’s most accomplished setters despite entering just her sophomore season, Kern will again be at the center of the Logan offense.
Addie Henestofel — Senior, Outside Hitter
Henestofel returns for her senior season after earning Honorable Mention All-OCC recognition and Second Team Division II All-Southeast District honors.
One of Logan’s three captains, she will be counted on for both production at the net and leadership as the Lady Chieftains replace several key players from last year’s district championship team.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Allie Horn — Senior, Libero
One of Logan’s three captains, Horn will be a key piece of the Lady Chieftains’ defense and serve as one of the senior leaders of a roster featuring eight underclassmen.
Her experience and ability to help organize the back row could become especially important as Logan develops its new rotation.
Taylor Wadsworth — Senior, Outside Hitter
Wadsworth gives Logan another experienced senior on the outside and enters her final season expecting the Lady Chieftains’ extensive offseason work to translate onto the court.
With several offensive contributors gone from last season, Wadsworth could be among the veterans asked to assume a larger role.
BY THE NUMBERS
21-3 — Logan’s record in 2024.
19-7 — Logan’s record in 2025.
40-10 — Logan’s combined record over the last two seasons.
2 — Consecutive Division II district championships.
6 — Seniors on Logan’s 2026 varsity roster.
6 — Sophomores on the varsity roster.
2 — Freshmen on the varsity roster.
3 — Team captains: Allie Horn, Lila Kern and Addie Henestofel.
89 — Summer opportunities for players to show up and work, according to Wadsworth.
1 — Logan’s first-ever Spikefest championship, won this summer.
14 — Teams in the Glenville State University Team Camp field, where Logan went undefeated.
BIGGEST QUESTION
How quickly can Logan replace the production and experience lost from Landis, Pence, Muncie, Nihiser and Harrah?
The Lady Chieftains have established returning talent, particularly in Kern and Henestofel, and a veteran six-player senior class.
But replacing five important contributors will require others to step into larger roles.
The development of Logan’s sophomore class — and potentially its two freshmen — could go a long way toward determining just how high the ceiling is for this year’s team.
WHY LOGAN CAN BE DANGEROUS
The Lady Chieftains have something every volleyball team would like to build around: an accomplished setter who already has a full varsity season behind her and is still only a sophomore.
Kern has demonstrated that she can run the offense at a high level, and Logan surrounds her with veteran players such as Henestofel, Horn, Wadsworth, Grow, Enderle and McKee.
There is also considerable youth waiting for its opportunity.
Six sophomores and two freshmen make up more than half of the varsity roster, meaning the Lady Chieftains have the potential to develop significantly as the season progresses.
The preseason success is encouraging.
The experience is there.
The young talent is there.
And after 40 victories and two district championships in two seasons, so is the expectation to win.
The next chapter of Logan volleyball begins in 2026.
And for the first time, Kacy Kern will be the one writing it.
Logan Chieftain Volleyball
