Lakers to play at Montevideo in volleyball opener, Thursday
Sports | Published on August 26, 2024 at 1:07pm CDT
The Minnewaska Area volleyball team is set to get its season underway Thursday, Aug. 29 at Montevideo followed by the home opener, Tuesday, Sept. 3 versus Sauk Centre.
The Lakers, who were 16-13 overall last year and 7-7 in the WCC, have a new coach this year as Mitch McGuire takes over the reigns of the volleyball program from former coach Michele Johnson.
The Lakers lost five key seniors from last year’s team, Avery Fier, Haley Shea, Dreya Barsness, Brooklyn Meyer and Miaya Guggisberg.
Among the returning starters are seniors Addy Kath and Dacia Fleury, junior Emma Poegel and sophomore Haillie Schulz, who are all very experienced players and should be great leaders for the team.
Fleury had 82 kills last season and 68 digs, while Kath had 50 kills, Poegel had 306 digs and served at a 96 percent clip, and Schulz had 160 kills, 363 set assists and 170 digs.
Assisting coach McGuire this season will be assistant coach McKenzie Newton, JV coach Bailey Ver Steeg and C-squad coach Taylor Amundson.
This year’s Minnewaska varsity roster will be very young with only three seniors and two juniors among the top 14 players. The varsity includes seniors Addy Kath (RH), Ella Lewison (RH) and Dacia Fleury (OH); juniors Emma Poegel (DS) and Eliana Marthaler (RH); sophomores Haillie Schulz (S), Emma Hellermann (MB), Avery Lewison (MB), Kylie Erickson (DS), Hailey Wesen (MB) and Brooklyn Noyes (DS); and ninth-graders Mya VanLuik (OH), Berlynn Green (OH) and Kyra Nelson (DS).
The JV team includes Carly Jergenson (RH), Ashley Murken (MB), Haylee Kasper (PIN), Kylie Erickson (S), Michaela Johnson (PIN), Alexis Shea (PIN), Kyra Nelson (S), Zaevri Kapryce (MB), Allison Curry (PIN), Taylor Schulz (OH), Hayley Wesen (MB), Brooklyn Noyes (DS), Anna Kollman (DS) and Brooklyn Sanders (DS), while the C-squad team includes Kylie Fenger (DS), Jazlyn Fleury (DS), Ella Nielsen (DS), Khloe Murken (OH), Emma Hawkinson (MB), Claira Frey (S), Harper Smith (DS), Aubri Suckstorff (DS), Aubrey Roering (OH), Elle Spanier (MB), Laney MacDonald (S), Miranda Grossman (RS) and Kennedy Sanders (OH).
• Sauk Centre won last year’s conference title with a 13-1 record and should be among the teams to beat in the WCC this season, while BOLD was second (11-3) followed by West Central Area and Melrose Area (both 9-5), Minnewaska Area (7-7), Morris Area-CA (5-9), Montevideo (1-13) and Benson (1-13).
The Lakers, who were seeded 10th in the Section 6AA Tourney, had their season end with a three-game loss to second-seeded Pequot Lakes after opening up the tourney with a four-game win over seventh-seeded Foley. Pequot Lakes went on to beat Albany for the section title.
