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If Eastwood wants to earn the school's 25th Suburban Lakes League volleyball championship this season, second-year coach Jeff Beck's Eagles will definitely have to earn it.
“We're not going to surprise anybody this year, so the target is now on our back,” said Beck, whose squad returns
five starters from a team that tied Otsego for the league title a year ago. “I'll be interested to see how these girls go from surprising people last year to everyone in the SLL now saying that they have to beat Eastwood.
“We're predicted to win the league, but Genoa is expected to be there in that big battle,” Beck added. “That will probably be our biggest SLL match.”
After Eastwood, Otsego is far behind with seven championships. Genoa has five, followed by Gibsonburg with four, Lakota and Northwood have two each, and Elmwood has one. Woodmore, Oak Harbor, and Lake have none. Eastwood won 14 straight championships from 1976 to 1989, with Otsego taking the crown in 1990, and then the Eagles returned to take home titles every season from 1991 to 1995.
Genoa has already made the best of it this season, coming back from a two-game deficit to defeat Eastwood 22-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-13 in the two rival’s first go-around Wednesday night. Alyssa Meis had 30 kills and five aces, Jessica Feller had 11 kills and four blocks, Brandi Schimming had 25 digs, and Hannah Morrison had 38 kills for the Comets.
The Eagles' lone loss from last year's team (21-4, 11-1 SLL) is Katie Dewyre, a defensive specialist who helped Eastwood win a Division II sectional title and advance to the district finals in 2009.
This year's squad will rely on a talented group of seniors led by 5-foot-11 outside hitter Whitney Hoodlebrink, the District 7 Player of the Year and runner-up in the league player-of-the-year voting.
“Whitney can jump up and touch 9 feet, 6 inches,” Beck said. “She's our go-to hitter, so we want her to terminate 80 percent of the balls hit to her. She's learning that she is that player who has to put the ball away. That's what we're working on with her.”
Senior libero Christine Foster, a co-captain and three-year starter, earned second-team All-SLL and all-district honors last season.
“I'm expecting leadership from Christine,” Beck said. “This is her second year as a captain and she's on the floor 100 percent of the time. We want her to be the most verbal player on the floor, taking charge of the match and leading us defensively and in serve receive. We want her to take every first contact.”
Another team co-captain is senior setter Katie Primeau.
“She was a ball distributor last year and this year she's a setter,” Beck said. “She knows who to set, where the other team's top blockers are and where each player's best attack is. One thing she is doing this year she didn't do last year is, we're having her jump-set every set, which makes for a faster set for our hitters.”
Two other seniors, middle hitter Vicky Bruning and outside hitter Jordan Frobose, will be key players in the Eagles' attack.
“Vicky has been here three years,” Beck said, “and she's that player who, when Whitney is not in the front row, we look for her to say, 'Hey, it's me now who is going to lead us offensively.' We want her to be more of an offensive weapon than she was last year. She's had a great summer, so we're excited to see that.
“Jordan is working on keeping the ball in play every time she touches the ball. She's only 5-7 and she may not get every kill, but she is developing all kinds of shots that keeps a defense off-guard.”
Junior Courtney Rolf, a 6-0 middle hitter, enters her third season as a starter after earning second-team all-league and first-team all-district honors last year. Rolf was named by Prepvolleyball.com as one of the top 100 sophomores in the nation last year, according to Beck.
“She's that girl in the middle who simply intimidates players,” Beck said. “She gets a lot of touches on blocks for us. She's very aggressive and she swings hard.”
The coach is also looking for solid play from Brittney Firsdon, a 5-11 junior right side hitter. Firsdon has been on the varsity since her freshman year.
“She has height and that has been an advantage for us,” Beck said. “She's developed an aggressive arm swing and she should become an offensive weapon this year. That's a really nice option for us.”
Beck added that the Eagles had an “amazing” summer playing together, which only heightened the team's expectations this fall.
“Every preseason tournament we were in we either won or did really well,” Beck said. “These girls have high expectations. They want to get to the final four. I don't know if that will happen, but we feel we have the tools to win the SLL and go far in the tournament.”
GENOA
The senior-laden Comets – they have seven, including four returning starters – don't intend to take a back seat to
any team in the SLL this season.
Genoa (14-10, 7-5) went a combined 0-5 against league co-champions Eastwood and Otsego last year, but second-year coach Amanda Cichocki said her seniors are focused on turning the tables in 2010.
“They take on that rivalry with all their heart,” Cichocki said. “They know it's going to be competitive and challenging. Eastwood has improved tremendously since Jeff has been there. It's going to be a challenge, but we're up to it. When I had these girls as freshmen, they were 17-1 and tied with Eastwood. They're all pretty much together for their last year and with the competitiveness of this group, they want to end their high school careers on a high note.”
Genoa returns seven letterwinners from a team that reached the Division III district semifinals before losing to Otsego. Returning senior starters are 5-10 outside hitter Alyssa Meis, 5-11 middle hitter Jessica Feller, libero Brandi Schimming and setter Hannah Morrison.
Meis and Morrison both earned second-team all-league and honorable mention all-district honors last season.
“Alyssa is really versatile and is one of our go-to hitters,” Cichocki said. “We rely on her to put the ball away. Hannah is a leader and, being a setter, she carries the team on her shoulders. She works hard and she sees the court very well.”
Feller and Schimming were honorable mention All-SLL selections as juniors.
“Feller is very athletic, very strong and she's a very good blocker,” Cichocki said. “She reads the other team's hitters very well. Being a senior, she is taking on a leadership role this year and I think she's going to be one of those go-to hitters. Schimming is very quick on her feet and is just a real determined athlete. She doesn't like to see the ball hit the floor and she makes sure our defense does what it's supposed to do.”
Other returning letterwinners are seniors Bailee Adams, a 5-11 middle hitter, and defensive specialists Harlee Hummel and Kara Harmeyer. Juniors Patricia Snider, Hunter Giles, Tia Bialorucki and 5-9 right side hitter Jane Schlivert will also see playing time.
“Jane has really developed the past couple years,” Cichocki said. “She saw a lot of playing time last year, and she has really improved over the years. She's going to be really effective for us on the right side.”
GIBSONBURG
First-year coach Krista Markel, who coached the Golden Bears' junior varsity squad last season, returns four letterwinners from a team that finished 5-19 and 2-12 in the SLL.
The Bears' returning starters are all-league senior outside hitter Abby Copley, senior libero Katey DuShane and senior setter Bri Kille. Markel hopes to get good leadership out of all three players this season.
“Abby is a good all-around player and a leader and role model to our younger girls, on and off the court,” Markel said. “She'll be our primary go-to person. Katey is our primary passer and does a great job in the back row. Bri is another leader and a very hard worker. We're looking to her as our primary setter and with her experience and her leadership, it will be a benefit for us on the floor.”
Gibsonburg's other returning letterwinner is senior Sarah Doering, who will start at middle hitter.
“She's shown a lot of improvement over the last few years,” Markel said, “and she's a hard worker.”
Other key contributors this season should be senior Rachel Reynolds and juniors Kaitlin Angelone and Marissa Bolen.
Gibsonburg last won an SLL title in 2001, but the Bears have finished second in the league six times since 2002.
“We have a few years of rebuilding ahead of us,” Markel said. “Our main focus this year is to play as a team, stay a team and work hard.”
LAKE
The Flyers are off to a 1-1 start after dropping their season opener to Northwood and beating Evergreen on Monday.
In the 25-19, 28-26, 23-25, 23-25, 15-12 win over the Vikings, Kaysie Brittenham had 24 kills, five blocks, and 27 digs, Carly Huston had 10 kills and seven blocks, Lauren Densic had 15 kills and 21 digs, Bre Hitchen had eight kills, McKenzie Whiteman had six digs and 39 set assists, Sammy Whiteman had 16 digs, and Courtney Sutter had three kills and three blocks.
“I have high expectations,” said second-year coach Melissa Edwards, who got married this summer. “We have so many seniors on the floor at all times - three who never leave the floor. They know that after everything we went through (earlier) this summer, the girls know the community will look for them to be leaders, and they know what they have to do.”
Lake, which is playing its home matches at Lake Middle School, returns five senior starters from last year's 13-10 team that took fourth in the SLL. The Flyers lost in the Division II district semifinals.
Senior outside hitter Kaysie Brittenham returns after garnering second-team all-league and all-district honors last season. She is a three-year starter and team captain.
“I expect Kaysie to be our best all-around leader,” Edwards said. “She will be our go-to hitter. When the girls know they need anything, they go to Kaysie. When they're in trouble, they go to Kaysie. She's a leader on the court at all times.”
Senior Lauren Densic has moved from right side hitter to outside hitter this season.
“She has developed into a great hitter,” Edwards said.
McKenzie Whiteman, a senior setter, was honorable mention all-league last season.
“We run a 5-1 defense and she's the only setter we go with,” Edwards said. “We couldn't do without McKenzie. She's developed into the best setter we've had in years. She's gotten a lot smarter and she can anticipate the plays better.”
The Flyers' other two returning starters are senior middle hitters Carly Huston and Breanne Hitchen.
“Carly is about 6-foot and she's our best middle hitter,” Edwards said. “She's the first one we go to. She's turned into a better hitter, and she was always a great blocker. Breanne is only 5-6, but she can get up above the net and block like a beast. She has a great vertical.”
Other players who will contribute this season are sophomore libero Sammy Whiteman and 5-11 junior Courtney Sutter.
“The Whitemans are just a volleyball family and I love them,” Edwards said. “They play club (volleyball) all year and Sammy and her sister both have very quick feet. Courtney is just a blocking machine on our right side, and we can use her as a backup setter. She's great at lining up other hitters and getting the block.”
WOODMORE
The Wildcats return five starters from a team that struggled last season, finishing winless in the SLL and 3-17 overall.
Third-year coach Julie Odenweller, however, is confident that better team chemistry will help her squad turn things around.
“It's a different vibe this year with this team, as far as friendships on and off the court,” she said. “We're hoping that working together gets us some wins. It's a small group and they're young, but I have a lot of confidence in them.”
Two of the Wildcats' top players are senior middle hitter Audrey Thorbahn and senior middle hitter/DS Carly Pendleton. Thorbahn earned honorable mention all-league and all-district honors last season, while Pendleton garnered honorable mention All-SLL recognition.
“Carly is going to be our team leader and she is also our team captain along with Audrey,” Odenweller said. “She's really taken the role of being a leader and she's a positive player. Audrey is our big hitter up in the middle front. She's going to do very well for us in her hitting. She'll probably have a very high percentage as far as kills and making contact with the ball, and she won't have many errors.”
Two juniors, right side hitter Mary Makulinski and setter/outside hitter Andrea Bouldin, and sophomore right side hitter Nicole Busdecker return as second-year starters.
“Mary is going to be a good defender when it comes to blocking,” Odenweller said. “Andrea is quick on her feet and gets to the ball. She's going to have a lot of assists for us. Nicole is a gamer and she wants to hit everything hard. She has to stay strong up in the front row.”
Junior libero Jenna Lohr and junior defensive specialist Emily Bitter will also see action along with junior Lora Zatko, sophomores Ally Brown and Alex Sandwisch and freshman Madeline Phillips.
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