This story is sponsored by: Norm-E-Lane Farm
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Area high school volleyball teams kicked off their 2021 season last week as a number of high-profile invitationals and local quadrangular meets were held.
This week and next will be the start of the conference schedules, and a number of teams will look to repeat success from 2020.
Stratford (Marawood Conference South Division), Columbus Catholic (Cloverbelt Conference East Division) and Marshfield (Wisconsin Valley Conference) are all defending conference champions and each have a number of top players returning as they try to make a run at another title.
Here is a look at the five teams in our coverage area and what they have in store for 2021:
AUBURNDALE EAGLES
Coach: Kate Schmutzer, second year.
Last year’s record: 6-5, 4-1 Marawood Conference South Division.
Returning players: Josie Ertl, honorable mention all-Marawood South in 2020; Bri Weiler; Ashlyn Grimm; Nicole Marth; Morgan Raab.
From Coach Schmutzer: “Overall, we are young with only two seniors, Nicole Marth and Morgan Raab, and unfortunately Morgan suffered a preseason injury, so her status is uncertain. The returning players and newcomers have been working hard in the gym. We are expecting to be competitive. However, we will need to stay healthy.”
Schedule (HOME IN CAPS): Aug. 26 at Wisconsin Rapids, 7 p.m.; Aug. 31 at Wausau West Quad, 4 p.m.; Sept. 7 at Wausau Newman Catholic, 7 p.m.; Sept. 9 IOLA-SCANDINAVIA, 7 p.m.; Sept. 11 AUBURNDALE INVITATIONAL, 9 a.m.; Sept. 14 EDGAR, 7 p.m.; Sept. 16 AUBURNDALE QUAD, 5 p.m.; Sept. 21 STRATFORD, 7 p.m.; Sept. 28 at Assumption, 7 p.m.; Oct. 2 Marawood Crossover Challenge No. 1 at Abbotsford, 10 a.m.; Oct. 5 MARATHON, 7 p.m.; Oct. 9 at Edgar Invitational, 9 a.m.; Oct. 12 Marawood Crossover Challenge No. 2 at Marathon, 4 p.m.
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COLUMBUS CATHOLIC DONS
Coach: Kat Egle, ninth year.
Last year’s record: 12-4, 7-0 Cloverbelt Conference East Division champions.
Returning players: Dorci Walker, sr., hitter, 256 kills, 127 digs, 31 service aces, Cloverbelt East Player of the Year in 2020; Jenna Kibbel, jr., hitter, 126 digs, 32 aces, honorable mention all-Cloverbelt East; Courtney Sommer, so., setter/hitter.
Key newcomers: Lily Stratman, jr., setter; Izzy Hoglund, fr., back row.
From Coach Egle: “We have great team chemistry and our team will be strong this year. We are young, but we have Dorci and Jenna that are doing a great job leading the team to be the best that they can be. Our strength will be our team unity and the willingness to work hard each day to get better. We expect great things from Dorci this year. She is a smart player with a phenomenal hit.”
Schedule (HOME IN CAPS): Aug. 24 at Loyal Quad, 4 p.m.; Aug. 27-28 at Menomonie Sprawl (UW-Stout), 8 a.m.; Sept. 9 at Stratford, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 11 at Auburndale Invitational, 9 a.m.; Sept. 14 GILMAN, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 16 w/Phillips at Three Lakes, 5:30 p.m.; Sept. 18 at Chippewa Falls McDonell Invitational, 9 a.m.; Sept. 21 at Loyal, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 23 OWEN-WITHEE, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 25 at Medford Invitational, 9 a.m.; Sept. 28 at Neillsville, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 30 at Colby, 7:15 p.m.; Oct. 5 GREENWOOD, 7:15 p.m.; Oct. 7 at Spencer, 7:15 p.m.; Oct. 12 Cloverbelt Conference crossover, TBA; Oct. 14 Cloverbelt Conference Crossover, TBA.
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MARSHFIELD TIGERS
Coach: Dawn Sadowska, 31st year.
Last year’s record: 9-4, 9-3 Wisconsin Valley Conference co-champions with D.C. Everest.
Returning players: Casey Frankland, sr., outside hitter, second-team all-WVC last year, led team in kills; Elise Uphoff, jr., libero, honorable mention all-WVC; Rylee Corteen, jr., middle blocker, led team in block kills in 2020; Caitlyn Pernsteiner, jr., middle blocker; Sidney Mattson, sr., hitter; Madilynn Tesmer, sr., hitter; Ashley Barwick, so., defensive specialist; Abby Ongna, so., hitter.
Key newcomers: Grace Taylor, so., hitter; Reinya Balderson, jr., setter; Nora Meissner, jr., setter; Grace Maguire, jr., utility.
From Coach Sadowska: “We have extremely high expectations for this season. We have a very strong returning core of players, including starters in Casey, Rylee, Caitlyn, and Elise, so we expect to win another conference championship and end up in the sectional final in October. Our seniors, Casey, Maddy, and Sidney, have shown great leadership throughout this summer and have kept this group of girls focused on getting better in the weight room and on the court. Our young returning and newcomer players will make great contributions in rounding out our lineup. Our strengths this year will definitely be the fire power we have in all of our offensive positions and the relentless defense from our libero. I’m really excited about what this team has the potential to do.”
Schedule (HOME IN CAPS): Aug. 24 Big Rivers/Wisconsin Valley Conference Challenge at Chippewa Falls, 2 p.m.; Aug. 27-28 at Sun Prairie Invitational, 9 a.m.; Aug. 31 STRATFORD, 7 p.m.; Sept. 2 at D.C. Everest, 7 p.m.; Sept. 4 MARSHFIELD INVITATIONAL, 9 a.m.; Sept. 9 WAUSAU WEST, 7 p.m.; Sept. 16 at Wisconsin Rapids, 7 p.m.; Sept. 18 Wisconsin Valley Conference Meet No. 1 at Wausau West, 10 a.m.; Sept. 30 WAUSAU EAST, 7 p.m.; Oct. 2 at Lodi Invitational, 9 a.m.; Oct. 7 at Stevens Point, 7 p.m.; Oct. 9 Wisconsin Valley Conference Meet No. 2 at Merrill, 10 a.m.; Oct. 12 at Wausau West, 7 p.m.; Oct. 14 MERRILL, 7 p.m.; Oct. 16 at Lakeland Invitational, 9 a.m.
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SPENCER ROCKETS
Coach: Alicia Herman, first year.
Last year’s record: 0-9, 0-6 eight place in Cloverbelt Conference East Division.
Returning players: Rebecca Mlsna, sr., right-side hitter; Madison Knecht, sr., outside hitter; Mallori Barth, sr., middle hitter; Heavyn Kind, sr., outside hitter; Jorie Meyer, sr., middle hitter; Tamara Blume, sr., right-side hitter; Hayly Smith, so., defensive specialist/right-side hitter.
Key newcomers: Hallie Meyer, fr., setter; Hannah Reckner, so., setter; Alexa Stange, fr., libero.
From Coach Herman: “We are a very experienced team this year with high expectations for ourselves. We hope to utilize our hitters more and to be competitive in the Cloverbelt Conference this year.”
Schedule (HOME IN CAPS): Aug. 24 SPENCER INVITATIONAL, 1 p.m.; Aug. 26 at Stanley-Boyd, 7:15 p.m.; Aug. 28 at Marathon Invitational, 9 a.m.; Sept. 2 RIB LAKE, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 9 PITTSVILLE, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 11 at Auburndale Invitational, 9 a.m.; Sept. 14 at Colby, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 21 OWEN-WITHEE, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 23 at Gilman, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 25 at Abbotsford Invitational, 9 a.m.; Sept. 28 LOYAL, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 30 at Greenwood, 7:15 p.m.; Oct. 5 at Neillsville, 7:15 p.m.; Oct. 7 MARSHFIELD COLUMBUS CATHOLIC, 7:15 p.m.; Oct. 12 Cloverbelt Conference crossover, TBA; Oct. 14 Cloverbelt Conference Crossover, TBA.
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STRATFORD TIGERS
Coach: Brooke Kafka, 11th year.
Last year’s record: 11-3, 6-0 Marawood Conference South Division champions.
Returning players: Megan Wiese, sr., middle hitter; Hailey Chapel, sr., setter; Ally Zuleger, sr., setter.
Key newcomers: Delaney Dennee, sr., outside hitter; Kylee Manecke, sr., defensive specialist; Tessa Berg, jr., middle/outside hitter; Ava Weix, jr., defensive specialist; Allison Lindner, jr., outside hitter.
From Coach Kafka: “As we enter a season after a senior-led team last year, we will focus on small steps towards our big goal. We may look experienced on paper, with a junior and senior filled roster, but the reality is that we have little varsity experience on our team. We will lean on those with experience and build our team physically and mentally each day. We will find strength in our leadership and team comradery.”
Schedule (HOME IN CAPS): Aug. 28 at Marathon Invitational, 9 a.m.; Aug. 31 at Marshfield, 7 p.m.; Sept. 2 PITTSVILLE, 7 p.m.; Sept. 7 at Assumption, 7 p.m.; Sept. 9 at Marshfield Columbus Catholic, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 11 at Auburndale Invitational, 9 a.m.; Sept. 14 WAUSAU NEWMAN CATHOLIC, 7 p.m.; Sep.t 20 at Colby, 7:15 p.m.; Sept. 21 at Auburndale, 7 p.m.; Sept. 25 at Abbotsford Invitational, 9 a.m.; Sept. 28 at Marathon, 7 p.m.; Oct. 2 Marawood Crossover Challenge No. 1 at Abbotsford, 10 a.m.; Oct. 5 EDGAR, 7 p.m.; Oct. 12 Marawood Crossover Challenge No. 2 at Marathon, 4 p.m.