The Minnewaska Area volleyball team opened up the new season with a three-game sweep at Montevideo, Thursday night.

The Lakers, who went 16-13 last year, but lost five key players, steadily improved throughout the match before leaving Montevideo with a 25-21, 25-19, 25-10 victory.

It was also the first Laker win for new coach Mitch McGuire, who took over the head coaching position this fall from Michele Johnson.

The Lakers are set to host Sauk Centre in the home opener, Tuesday, Sept. 3 and also have a match at Melrose Area, Thursday, Sept. 5 and will play at the Lakeview Invitational, Saturday, Sept. 7.

Sauk Centre won last year’s WCC title with a 13-1 record, 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). 

Assisting coach McGuire this season is assistant coach McKenzie Newton, JV coach Bailey Ver Steeg and C-squad coach Taylor Amundson.

Minnewaska 3, Monte 1

Dacia Fleury, Emma Poegel, Haillie Schulz, Mya VanLuik and Berlynn Green led the Lakers to the three-game sweep over Montevideo in the season opener, Thursday night.

Fleury, a senior who had 82 kills and 68 digs last season for the Lakers, had a team-high six kills during the opener at Montevideo, while ninth-grader Mya VanLuik pounded down four kills.

Ninth-grader Berlynn Green led the Lakers with four service aces and also had four digs, while junior Emma Poegel had a team-best seven digs and sophomore Haillie Schulz put up 18 set assists.  Schulz had 363 set assists, 170 digs and 160 kills last fall, while Poegel had 306 digs last year.

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).

Among the varsity members, Addy Kath, Dacia Fleury, Emma Poegel Haillie Schulz return as starters.