The 2017 volleyball season begins with turnover being a main theme. Last year’s All-Conference teams featured 12 total picks from county teams. Nine were seniors. Fillmore Central, Rushford-Peterson, Lanesboro, and Mabel-Canton lost multiple multi-year stand-out (All-Conference plus) players. Kingsland and Chatfield each graduated experienced seniors groups. And thus uncertainty is another critical theme.
Uncertainty does reign, though Mabel-Canton transcends it. Lonnie Morken’s Cougars won the SEC-East again last season (14-0). They posted their seventh straight 30-win season (32-5), falling to section champion Caledonia in the 1A East finals. It was the Cougars’ fourth straight 1A East final. M-C lost a pair of good ones in Coranda Vickerman and Courtney Graves. Vickerman was one of the best ever, a four-time All-SEC performer, a two-time Player of the Year and All-State selection. Everyone else is back though, as M-C hoards all three/four of the county’s returning All-league picks. Three-time All-SEC senior Savannah Slafter (5’7” OH > 382 kills, 70 aces, 252 digs), the reigning Player of the Year and an All-State (Honorable Mention) honoree, returns as the team’s and conference’s top hitter. She already has over 1,000 career kills. Multi-year players, 2016 All-SEC picks Lexi Thorson (5’5” junior libero) and Maddy Michels (5’6” junior MH), also are back. Thorson led M-C in aces (81) and digs (277). Michels had 151 kills. The Cougars also boast Dakota Delaney (5’9” senior MH > 138 kills, 38 blocks), a fourth-year player who was All-SEC in 2015, Payton Danielson (5’3” sophomore OH > 234 digs, 66 aces), and Kenidi McCabe (5’3” freshman OH > 168 assists, 50 aces, 173 digs). Size isn’t M-C’s strength, but they rarely have that anyway. And the Cougar gals come off a very successful 2016-2017 sports campaign overall. Their 14-gal roster includes the two seniors above plus 5’6” OH Harley McCabe, three juniors, three sophomores, and five freshmen. The Cougars have their own Labor Day Classic, the Brainerd Tourney, and Class A Showcase. They begin the year ranked #7 in Class A. Section foes Hayfield (#2), Caledonia (#3), and Faribault-B.A. (#4) are also ranked.
Travis Malley’s Fillmore Central squad competed for the 3-Rivers title last year. They finished 10-2 in league (third place). The Falcons fell to Mabel-Canton 3-2 in the sub-section semifinals at Mayo Civic Center. FC finished 18-10. That squad was led by the six senior ‘B’s’ squad, which featured four All-TRC picks in Tayah Barnes, an All-State HM selection, Paige Bennett, Bailey Barnes, and Kenzie Broadwater. This year’s group returns five experienced veterans. Third-year player Cailey Rindels (5’8” > 133 kills), the squad’s top returning attacker, and Kaelyn Marzolf (5’11” > 75 kills), give the Falcons a pair of reliable senior middle hitters. Madison Scheevel (5’4” junior setter > 324 assists, 96 digs) gives FC an experienced setter. Rindels and Scheevel were both All-TRC HM. Paige Donlinger (5’3” junior OH > 147 digs) and Carlee Birch (5’4” senior DS) round out the troupe. From there, FC’s boasts a fourth senior (5’9” OH Alleigh Meyer), four more juniors, and a trio of freshman for a 13-gal squad. The Falcons have tourneys in Apple Valley, Wabasha, and Rochester. They open with #2 in Class A Hayfield.
Rushford-Peterson’s 2016 squad was led by highly heralded seniors Savannah Skalet, Brianna Koop, Ashley Agrimson, and Mikayla Crawford. Skalet was a three-time All-TRC pick, a 2,000-assist setter. Koop was a two-time All-TRC pick. Agrimson was selected in 2016. Crawford finished with over 1,300-career digs. Their departures mean the Trojans will have a new statistical leader in almost every category this season. R-P went 5-7 in the TRC a year ago, 15-13 overall for their sixth straight winning season. They fell to W-K in the 1A East quarters. Head coach Nikki Schultz does boast a 17-gal roster with some nice experience. Senior Nicole Blagsvedt (6’0” MH > 106 kills, 31 blocks), an All-TRC HM pick, is the top returning attacker. Fellow senior Kensay Clobes (5’8 OH > 44 kills, 35 aces, 107 digs), who missed a good chunk of last year, also enters her fourth year of varsity action. Olivia Hoff (5’4” senior DS > 119 digs), Lauren Lawston (5’9” junior OH > 87 kills), and Kjersta Hinz (5’11” junior MH > 50 kills, 25 blocks) each played in at least 60 sets. R-P has six seniors (above three plus 5’3” DS McKenzie Eide, 5’7” RH Anna Kjos, and 5’6” RH Kasity Benedict), seven juniors, two sophomores, and two freshman. They have tourneys in Mabel and Wabasha. They open their new school and gym versus Lewiston-Altura.
Kingsland begins the year heading in a better direction then recent years. After one league win total from 2013-2015, the Knights went 4-8 in the TRC last season, 8-14 overall last season. The eight wins was more than the previous two years combined. Their season ended at Schaeffer Academy in a 1A East play-in game. The Knights lost a healthy group of eight seniors. They return three key full-timers. Fourth-year player Lauren Buchholtz (5’8” junior OH) led the squad with 202 kills. She earned All-TRC Honorable Mention. Kori Kruegel (5’8” senior OH) was Kingsland’s second leading hitter (97 kills). Taylor Zimmerman (5’4” junior libero > 187 digs, 24 aces) returns for her third year of varsity action in the back row. The Knights begin the year with a new coach. Sam Hanley comes down from Dover-Eyota. They have two seniors (Kruegel and 5’5” RH Brianna Hindt), seven juniors, and one freshman for a team of ten. Kingsland added M-C’s Labor Day Tourney to their normal seasonal weekend excursions to Wabasha and Rochester (Century Invite). They open at Grand Meadow.
After years of below average records, Lanesboro posted its second straight winning season last year. The Burros finished 9-5 in the SEC, 12-9 overall under first year coach Julie Schreiber. They fell 3-2 to L-A in a 1A East play-in. Schreiber is back for year two. She graduated five key seniors including two-year All-SEC picks Cassidy Ruud and Lexi Melander, a 1,000-plus assist setter. Burro volleyball took a bit of a hit over the summer when defensive specialist Caroline Mayer suffered a season-ending knee injury. Nonetheless, the Burros move on. The coach’s daughter Joelie Schreiber heads Lanesboro’s cast. The 5’11” senior middle hitter had a team second-best 152 kills last season. She enters her third year of varsity action. Lexie Johnson (5’8” junior MH) is the only other returning full-timer, though the Burros do have six seniors. Alyssa Iverson (5’5” setter), Claire Pieper (5’7” DS), Janell Boyum (5’11” RH), Chloe Peterson (5’8” DS), and Audrey Ochtrup-Dekeyrel (5’8” OH) join Schreiber. Three juniors, a sophomore, and a freshman round out an 11-girl varsity roster. Like Kingsland, Lanesboro added the Mabel-Canton Labor Day Tourney. They also take on weekend romps in Winona (Cotter) and LeRoy.
After a lengthy run of preeminence in the TRC, Chatfield fell off their previous pace last season. The Gophers went 1-11 in league, 5-26 overall, losing to Lake City in the 1AA East quarters. Four seniors graduated. Each was All-Conference HM. Grace Friederichs (5’3” senior setter) is the most experienced returnee (117 assists, 142 digs). Macy Pederson (5’5” senior OH), Megan Hopp (5’6” senior DS), Kennedy O’Connor (5’9” senior OH), Belle Berg (5’8” junior OH), and Alanna Goetzinger (5’11” junior OH) each saw action in 40% to 70% of Chatfield’s sets. Berg (65 kills, 148 digs, 21 aces) was a notable stat getter. The Gophers have five seniors (above plus 5’3” OH Julia Freiderichs), two juniors, two sophomores, and a freshman for a 10-gal roster. Ruth Ann Lund is back to lead Chatfield. The Gophers have an early season Rochester Tourney plus shindigs in Decorah and Cannon Falls. They have a notable new non-conference date with Mabel-Canton.
Houston took on a new coach last season in Brianna Primmer. The Hurricanes took their licks, going 2-12 in the SEC, 3-19 overall. They fell to R-P in a 1A East play-in game. Primmer graduated four seniors but got a new last name (Meyer). The ‘Canes will look to improve behind varsity vets Becca Lee (5’6” senior MH), Houston’s lone All-SEC HM pick, Amber Chapel (5’10” senior MH), Ariel Scanlan (5’5” junior setter), Marissa Kennedy (5’5” senior OH), Gretchen Hill (5’1” senior DS), and Alyssa Rostad (5’4” junior OH). They’ll hope to get long sophomore Jenny Albrecht (5’10” MH) healthy at some point. The Hurricanes roster has four seniors (above plus 5’7” RH Sarah Albrecht), five juniors, a sophomore, and a freshman. The Hurricanes only tourney is the Cotter Invite.
*All TRC stats courtesy of Bill Bentson.
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