FALL SPORTS
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2020
Telegraph file photo Rachel Heiss (6) is one of just two returning starters for St. Pat’s. Also new for the Irish is coach Maddy Krebs, a St. Pat’s alumni, who took the position over the summer. St. Pat’s welcomes new coach; returns 2 starters
Maxwell down in numbers; Hershey has a new coach, depth
will disappear.” That first
By JAKE DREILINGER jake.dreilinger@ nptelegraph.com
game
is against Shelton, a team St. Pat’s beat last year 2-0. » Maxwell: Coach Saturday Gina Sommer isn’t used to having a small team. Typically, the Wildcats have nearly 30 players, but this year she only has 15. “This is a whole new concept for me,” Sommer said. “It’s just one of those years where you don’t have as much I guess.” And from those 15 players, only one of them is a returning starter. Middle block- er Jordan Miller, last year’s team captain is back, while the oth- er starters, all seniors, have graduated. Maxwell played its first two games Thursday against Mullen and Medicine Valley, where it tested its limited roster to see where they need to im- prove going forward. “Last year we lost to (Medicine Valley) in a five-set match. It was a great match,” Sommer said. “I know she’s graduated some,
When St. Patrick’s coach Maddy Krebs ac- cepted the job over the summer, she didn’t know what to expect at first. Inheriting a team is difficult, and the for- mer Irish athlete had to introduce herself to her players and get a full rundown of her team. That includes finding the holes that need to be filled in the starting lineup, and who on the team played last year. Turns out, there are quite a bit of holes. “I have two (returning starters),” Krebs said. “Only two. One senior and my junior setter.” Rachel Heiss, the se- nior outside hitter, and Jayla Fleck, the junior setter, have jumped into leadership roles and have helped the team transition under Krebs. That includes working on certain fundamen- tals, like blocking and attacking to the holes. “They’re excited, they’re ready to go,” she said. “I think once we get our first game out of the way, all those jitters
Telegraph file photo
Maxwell’s Jordan Miller (7) is the only returning starter for the Wildcats and coach Gina Sommer.
I’ve graduated some. I believe Mullen lost several as well. They usually have a pretty good program going on. They’ll be ready to play, so we’ll have to be ready to play.” » Hershey: Coach Samatha Kennedy is in her first season at the helm of the Hershey vol- leyball team, but there won’t be a need for much rebuilding. On top of adding a large freshman class, the Panthers have five returning starters and two returning defensive specialists coming back. Kate Vaughn, Talia Steinbeck, Shayda Vaughn, Abby Hassett and Delaney Love are all slated to return to the lineup while Anna Bernston and Annah Wareham will provide extra coverage on de- fense. This year, though, the team is trying some- thing new.
“We’re trying to run a 6-2 this year with Steinbeck and a fresh- man, Emma Hall, so that’s been quite the ad- justment for the whole entire team,” Kennedy said. Hershey hosts Broken Bow on Thursday to open the season. » Sutherland: Coach Valerie Kershner knows her team is young and inexperienced. Out of 26 players, only nine are juniors and seniors. And of those 26 players, only two are returning starters: outside hitter Faith Stewart and mid- dle hitter Allie Hiatt. Kershner knows it will take time for her team to adjust to their new roles and for the freshman and sopho- more to gain experience this year. She said the team re- lies on their two starters and some of their senior players to be leaders for
this young team. “We’re a quick-learn- ing team,” Kershner said. “We’re going to be a team that improves with every practice and every game. We’ve seen that for sure so far.” Sutherland opens the season against Creek Valley on Thursday. » Wallace: The Wildcats won’t be with- out experience this year, but a big freshman class could mean some underclassmen will see playing time right away. “We’re going to have younger girls playing and getting experience,” coach Elizabeth Hock said. “But we will have more experience from our juniors and se- niors.” That experience in- cludes five returning starters in outside hit- ters Julia Rosentrater, Karlie Finley and Denay Pelster, and middle hit- ters Arianna Davie and
Morgan Lungrin. “They’ve worked pret- ty hard in practice,” Hock said. “They want to have a season so bad- ly.” Wallace opens the sea- son on the road against Potter-Dix on Friday. » Brady: The Eagles may have lost three of its senior starters, they return six players who contributed for most of the season. Summer McConville, Sofia Atkins, Trinity Christophersen, Karli Palmer, Jade Wolf and Abby Jurjens routinely played the most sets on the team that weren’t se- niors. Christophersen had the second-high- est kill total (159), aces served (40) and digs (264). Wolf and McConville return as the third and fourth leaders in blocks. Brady opens the sea- son on the road against Pleasanton on Friday.
Telegraph file photo Anna Bernston is one of seven Hershey players with plenty of experience.
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