Monterey High School Volleyball

09/24/2026

Happy Senior Night Jalee and Raechel!

🏐 TSSN INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM

Jalee Johnson & Raechel Schliter: Senior Captains Chasing History at Monterey

By TSSN Staff Reports

MONTEREY, Tenn. — For seniors Jalee Johnson and Raechel Schliter, their final volleyball season at Monterey High School is about much more than wins and losses.

It’s about seeing years of work begin to pay off.

It’s about friendships, leadership and leaving the program better than they found it.

And if everything comes together, it could be about taking the Lady Wildcats somewhere they’ve never been before.

The region tournament.

Johnson and Schliter serve as captains for a Monterey squad that has emerged as one of the Upper Cumberland’s notable volleyball stories this season. With the Lady Wildcats sitting second in the district and collecting victories that once seemed out of reach, the two seniors can see just how much the program has changed.

“I think it’s going great,” Johnson said. “I’m really proud of how far we’ve come. Especially starting my freshman year and looking how far we’ve come to now, my senior year. I think we’ve improved so much.”

Schliter believes much of that progress began with the challenges Monterey faced last season.

After losing a large senior class, several Lady Wildcats had to learn new positions and accept different responsibilities. Those growing pains helped prepare them for what they’re accomplishing now.

“I think this year is kind of our year,” Schliter said. “It’s like, okay, let’s make this a good season and let’s go places this year.”

Two Different Roads to Monterey

Neither captain’s volleyball journey began exactly as she expected.

Johnson started playing in sixth grade, when basketball was still her primary sport. A physical education teacher encouraged her to give volleyball a try.

It didn’t take long for everything to change.

“I didn’t think that I would really enjoy it, but I ended up quitting basketball to focus more on volleyball because I just fell in love with it,” Johnson said.

Johnson grew up in Allons and attended Allons Elementary before coming to Monterey for high school, where her father teaches.

She eventually developed into the Lady Wildcats’ setter and is now going through the college recruiting process.

Schliter’s journey began hundreds of miles away.

Her family is originally from Michigan, where she started playing volleyball in sixth grade at a small private school after friends encouraged her to try the sport.

After moving to Monterey, she continued playing in middle school and eventually earned a spot on the high school team.

Schliter played middle until her junior year, when Monterey head coach Todd Daugherty moved her to outside hitter.

It proved to be a move she embraced.

“I really enjoy that a lot better,” Schliter said. “I think I’ve learned a lot more and gained a lot more experience through that.”

Setter and Hitter — A Senior Connection

Their positions naturally put Johnson and Schliter at the center of Monterey’s offense.

Johnson creates opportunities.

Schliter tries to finish them.

Johnson believes one of her greatest strengths as a setter is understanding what’s happening across the entire court — not only knowing where her teammates are but also recognizing weaknesses and openings in the opposing defense.

That awareness allows her to communicate with Monterey’s hitters and occasionally attack herself with a setter dump when the opportunity presents itself.

Schliter knows exactly what she wants when Johnson sends the ball her way.

“Getting kills,” Schliter said when asked about her biggest strength. “When we’re down and I go front row, Jalee gets me the ball. We work really good together, and I do the best I can to get our kills and get the points back up.”

Even as seniors, neither believes the development process is finished.

Johnson has focused on becoming more consistent when Monterey is out of system. When the first pass isn’t perfect, she wants to improve her footwork and still deliver a quality ball that gives her hitters a chance.

Schliter is working on becoming a more creative attacker.

Instead of simply swinging as hard as possible, she’s learning to read defenses and use tips, pushes and placement to find open areas of the floor.

“Sometimes that doesn’t work, and the defense is reading you,” Schliter said. “You have to be more creative.”

Wins That Show How Far Monterey Has Come

Johnson doesn’t need to study statistics to understand the progress Monterey has made.

She can look at the opponents the Lady Wildcats are now beating.

Monterey has defeated Clay County twice and also knocked off York Institute — accomplishments Johnson said the Lady Wildcats had not achieved during her high school career.

Then there’s Monterey’s position in the district.

“We’re second in the district,” Johnson said. “We’ve also never done that since I’ve been here. So I think just how well we’re doing and seeing all of our hard work now paying off.”

For Schliter, one of the moments that helped set the foundation for this season came before the matches even counted.

The Lady Wildcats attended a volleyball camp at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where they competed against other teams, learned new skills and spent valuable time together.

“We got a lot of team bonding,” Schliter said. “We had a lot of fun there. We learned a lot of new things, and we met a lot of new people.”

That bonding has become an important part of Monterey’s success.

Eleven Freshmen — And a Future Beyond 2026

One of the most striking things about this Monterey team is its youth.

The Lady Wildcats have 11 freshmen on the roster.

Johnson and Schliter know they won’t be wearing Monterey uniforms when those freshmen eventually become upperclassmen, but both captains understand they have an opportunity to influence what the program looks like long after they’ve graduated.

Johnson, who takes her classes at Vol State, didn’t know many of the freshmen before volleyball brought them together.

That changed quickly.

“I love every single one of them,” Johnson said. “They’re all so funny, and I feel like we’re all just so close.”

Schliter believes that closeness shows when Monterey takes the floor.

“I genuinely think we can just go and laugh or have a conversation with anyone on the team,” she said. “Our chemistry and our team bonding really shows on the court, and it helps us play so much better.”

Schliter credited Daugherty and assistant coach Kendyll Franz with helping Monterey’s young players develop and gain the experience they’ll need to continue building the program.

“We have eleven freshmen, and they’re just progressing so fast,” Schliter said. “Todd and our assistant coach, Kendyll, have just been really helping them out and getting them the experience they need to be great volleyball players in the next couple years.”

For Johnson, Franz’s role carries another layer of meaning.

Johnson remembers looking up to Franz when she was a Monterey player.

Now Franz is helping coach Johnson through her senior season.

That’s part of what makes high school athletics special — one generation helping the next.

The People Behind the Players

Johnson credits her parents as two of the greatest influences on her volleyball career.

“They never gave up on me, and they’ve always supported me through everything,” she said.

Her mother has been there for road trips, matches and seemingly every step along the way.

And Johnson admits everyone in the gym usually knows she’s there.

“She’s definitely the loudest parent in the stands,” Johnson joked. “It can be embarrassing sometimes, but she really just wants the best for me and all of her girls.”

Johnson also credited Daugherty, who arrived during her sophomore year, with having a major influence on her development.

For Schliter, that person has been her father.

“He’s been the one in the family that’s always into sports,” Schliter said. “He comes to my games, and he really supports me. He just wants to see me go and do big things.”

Schliter also points to her teammates.

“They’re always pushing me and encouraging me,” she said. “They’re pushing me to be better, and I’m pushing them to be better.”

Lessons Bigger Than Volleyball

Johnson describes herself as intensely competitive.

She doesn’t hide it.

“I hate losing,” she said.

But the journey from a freshman joining a developing program to a senior captain chasing a region berth has taught her something that extends far beyond volleyball.

Never give up.

It’s also the advice she’d give her younger self.

“Forget the bad play and focus only on the next one,” Johnson said. “You just gotta let the bad play go and forget about it and only focus on what’s in front of you, because there’s nothing you can do about that last play.”

Schliter has learned a similar lesson.

Hers centers on patience.

When a match isn’t going well, it’s easy to become frustrated with yourself or your teammates. Schliter has learned to accept that mistakes aren’t just something that occasionally happens in volleyball.

They’re an unavoidable part of the sport.

“Volleyball is a game of mistakes,” Schliter said. “You can’t move forward with the game until someone makes a mistake. Someone’s gonna get a kill on you. Someone’s gonna block you. You’re gonna shank a pass. It’s part of the game.”

The important part is what happens next.

One mistake doesn’t define a player.

Another point is coming.

A Small Town Behind Its Lady Wildcats

Both seniors have also grown to appreciate what it means to represent Monterey.

Johnson loves the town’s small-community atmosphere and the way people show up for their Wildcats.

“The stands are always full for our volleyball games, basketball games and football games,” Johnson said.

Schliter sees the same thing.

“The school spirit and just the support in our community is really great,” she said. “It’s a really small town, so to have that support, it’s really important for us.”

And when volleyball practice ends, the two captains have a pretty clear recommendation for where to eat.

Las Agaves.

“Me and Jalee go there at least once or twice a week after practice,” Schliter laughed.

Sometimes three times.

And occasionally, they convince Daugherty to come along — especially when they can talk their coach into buying dinner.

Johnson also offered a recommendation for anyone looking for coffee in Monterey: Mad Dash Coffee.

It’s those little moments — meals after practice, jokes with teammates and time together away from the court — that have helped turn a collection of players into something closer to a family.

Family Comes First

Away from volleyball, family remains at the center of both seniors’ lives.

For Johnson, one of her favorite traditions is the Fourth of July at her nana’s house.

Her extended family — sometimes 40 or 50 people — gathers for a cookout. Her nana lives near where the community’s fireworks are launched, giving everyone a front-row seat from the yard.

For Schliter, Thanksgiving and Christmas provide those moments.

With relatives living in Michigan, South Dakota, North Carolina and other places, the holidays provide a rare opportunity for everyone to gather in one place.

It’s something she doesn’t take for granted.

The Memories They’ll Carry With Them

Years from now, Johnson doesn’t believe she’ll remember only the kills, sets or scores.

She’ll remember the people.

Coming to Monterey without knowing many people, volleyball gave her friendships and a place to belong.

“I just gained so many friendships and so many memories,” Johnson said.

Some of those relationships have continued even after former teammates graduated.

One of the best examples is Franz.

“I still talk to a lot of the girls that have graduated, and we’re still all really close,” Johnson said. “And Kendyll, our assistant coach now, I looked up to her a lot when she played.”

Schliter hopes she can provide that same example for Monterey’s younger players.

“I really hope that after I graduate, I can come and support them just how they’ve supported me through my high school,” she said. “I know they look up to me, and I want to see them go and do great things for this team.”

That’s what being a captain has become for Johnson and Schliter.

It’s not simply about leading the team they have now.

It’s about helping prepare the team Monterey will have tomorrow.

One More Goal

Before Johnson and Schliter hand the program to the next group, there’s still something they want to accomplish.

Something Monterey hasn’t done before.

Win the district.

Reach the region tournament.

Make history.

“Hopefully win districts and go to region for the first time,” Johnson said. “That’s what we’re hoping for.”

Schliter believes this team has given itself a legitimate opportunity.

“Going to regions is a really big goal for us this year because we can really see it happening,” she said. “We’ve never done it before.”

And if the Lady Wildcats can pull it off?

“I think it would be something that everyone remembers for a long time.”

But the seniors don’t want a region appearance to become the finish line.

The larger goal is to change what’s expected from Monterey volleyball.

To show those 11 freshmen what’s possible.

To leave behind a program capable of chasing even bigger things.

What’s Next

Johnson hopes her volleyball career doesn’t end when she takes off her Monterey uniform for the final time.

She recently received her first college volleyball offer, an important milestone for someone who first picked up the sport as a sixth grader unsure whether she’d even like it.

Now she wants to play at the next level.

Academically, Johnson is still deciding on her career path but has narrowed her interests to becoming either a physical therapist or physical education teacher.

Schliter also plans to attend college and is interested in becoming a dental hygienist, with ultrasound technology another possible career path.

And volleyball?

“If volleyball is meant for me to keep playing, then I will be playing in college,” Schliter said.

Those decisions will come soon enough.

Right now, there is still volleyball to play in Monterey.

There are matches to win.

There are younger teammates to lead.

There are memories still to make.

And there is a region tournament that two senior captains and an entire Lady Wildcats program believe is finally within reach.

Years from now, Monterey may not remember every point Johnson set or every kill Schliter delivered.

But the two captains hope their community remembers this team.

How close they were.

How hard they worked.

How far they came.

And perhaps, when everything is finished, how a group of Lady Wildcats helped show Monterey volleyball just how far it could go.

TSSN Inside the Locker Room
The stories behind the athletes of the Upper Cumberland.

09/24/2026

Senior Night. Last home game of the regular season. Let’s pack it out!

09/23/2026

RECORD BOOKS - With that last night’s win, varsity recorded their 8th district win: the most district wins in a season in Monterey Volleyball history. CONGRATS 🔥🔥🔥

09/22/2026

😈🏐

09/22/2026

Congrats to both JV and V on their wins tonight. With tonight’s district win, varsity has tied the record for most district wins in a season at 7. We’re shooting for the record tomorrow night vs. Van Buren!

09/21/2026

GAMEDAY 🔥🔥🔥

09/19/2026

Happy Birthday to one of our sophomore pins, Laynie! We love you big and hope you have a great day!

09/17/2026

3 home games left! Catch us tonight as we battle RBS in a district matchup!

09/15/2026

#1 vs. #2 😈

09/15/2026

Monterey High School Volleyball Player of the Week is Raechel Schliter