LebCo Female Athlete of the Week: Kenadie Dunsworth (Week Ending September 29, 2024)

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Kenadie Dunsworth

On September 26th, the Cedar Crest Girls Volleyball team earned a 3-0 victory over Penn Manor. In that victory, Kenadie Dunsworth had 22 digs to lead the way. Beyond that single game, the senior has been instrumental in leading the Falcons both statistically and through her mentorship of younger players. All of the on-court and off-court contributions led to her nomination, to which the LebCoSports.com voters rewarded her by choosing her as the LebCo Female Athlete of the Week.
About the win over Penn Manor, which was followed up with a win over Warwick, Dunsworth said, “I believe as a team we really showed up as the team, and it showed. Everyone was focused on doing their jobs and giving 110%.”

If it sounds like Dunsworth has a team approach to how she speaks, this goes beyond just being a façade. When it comes to her goals for the season, she pointed to her overall impact on the team, not only this year but in future years. She said, “My goal this season is to be someone memorable to Cedar Crest Girls’ Volleyball. I hope I am the person underclassmen feel the most comfortable around.”

She elaborated on the impact she hopes to have by building relationships with the players who will take over the program when she graduates next spring. She said, “I strive to make connections with the underclassmen early on in the season, as well as being there as someone they can openly talk to.”

Dunsworth has been a fixture at Cedar Crest since she started playing in middle school. As a sophomore, she took over a starting role. She saw this as a challenge, recalling, “One struggle for me was finding confidence as a player. Being a sophomore who started varsity, I knew I had big shoes to fill, but having the support of my friends and family really helped me regain my confidence.”

She now hopes to be that source of support for other young players. Last year, she was honored with the team’s Leadership Award and has continued to grow in that aspect.

Beyond her leadership, Dunsworth is also really good at volleyball. So far this season, she has 198 digs and 131 kills for the Falcons as they have played a 5-10 record within the hyper-competitive Section 1 of the Lancaster Lebanon League.
Coach Monica Sheaffer said of Dunsworth, “She is one of our best offensive and defensive players on the team.”

About Dunsworth’s varsity career, Sheaffer said, “She has played multiple roles on our team. Defensively she has progressed tremendously these past two years and is now one of our best passers and defenders in the backrow.”

How Dunsworth got to playing at such a high level, Sheaffer sums it up by saying, “Kenadie has always had the drive to be better at this game and will do her best in any role she is put in.”

Dunsworth has not only gotten better playing at the varsity level, but also while playing club volleyball under the guidance of Brett Hoffman. She also competes in the pool during the winter months, a sport she has competed in since she was five years old.

Dunsworth’s athletic influence comes from her parents, both of whom were high school athletes. Her mother’s sport of choice was swimming, while her father played basketball.

Though Dunsworth is usually busy competing in sports, she is also very competitive in the classroom. She is hoping to use her academic talents to major in Marine Biology while attending Coastal Carolina University.

When she takes the next step in life, she will carry with her all of the relationships she has made while competing in athletics. This is something that will guide her well. Dunsworth said of the experience, “I love all the girls I play with and appreciate the coaches I’ve worked with through the years!”

Dunsworth will still have five regular season matches to line up beside her Falcon teammates. We wish Kenadie and all of her teammates luck (and a lot of fun) as they close out the season.

Photos provided by Cedar Crest Volleyball

Read about this week’s LebCo Male Athlete of the Week: Luke Oriel

For a full list of this week’s nominees, check out: Athlete of the Week Voting:  September 23-29

Previous Winners

Alaina Miller (Week of August 19th)

Cameron Blouch (Week of August 26th)

Scarlett Meyer (Week of August 26th)

Avery Lechleitner (Week of September 2nd)

Delaney Miller (Week of September 9th)

Lily Rohrer (Week of September 9th)

Kailen Hibshman (Week of September 16th)