Spring Grove volleyball is coming off an 8-4 pandemic-shortened season, a third-place tie in the SEC East Division (5-4) and a summer tournament championship that included two wins over state-ranked teams. It is an experienced squad with the tallest Lion lineup that coach Kelsey Morken can recall in her 16 seasons as either a Lion player or area coach. Seven of 10 letter winners return, including both all-conference selections plus three-year starting setter Rachel Normann. The Lions open the 2021 season at home versus SEC rival Southland on Thursday, August 26.
File photo
Addyson McHugh is a two-time All-SEC player and three-year letter winner with two more seasons of eligibility remaining. The 5-foot, 10-inch junior hitter has led the team in kills and scoring blocks for two years. Last fall, she also led in ace serves after ranking second the previous season.
Maggie Lile was All-SEC and received Honorable Mention All-Area as a sophomore last fall. She had received Honorable Mention All-SEC the previous season as a freshman. Versatile enough to play any position with an exceptional understanding of the game, the three-year-letter-winning junior will start for a fourth season and for the third year as the libero. Capable of making correct defensive adjustments during the action, Lile led the Lions in both serve receive rating and digs while ranking second in both assists and ace serves.
Senior Rachel Normann will be the starting setter for a third year. In the Lions’ 5-1 (one-setter) attack, she accounted for 77% of the team’s set assists last year. Four of last year’s six servers return – Lile, Normann and McHugh plus senior hitter Julia Halverson, who posted a team-high 98% serving accuracy with a third-best 23 aces in 11 matches.
Five of the seven letter winners are hitters, including junior Kenadee Gerard, senior two-time letter winner Brielle Neeley and junior two-year letter winner Lydia Solum who ranked second, third and fourth in kills, respectively. Sophomore Katelyn Kraus makes five promising front-row candidates with heights of 5-9 or 5-10. Joining Kraus with B-team experience are three junior hitters – Peyton Thompson, Kylie Reynolds and Madilyn Ostern. Senior Hailey Borreson returns to volleyball after a several-year absence.
Joining Lile as defensive specialists with limited varsity experience are seniors Danika Holty and McKenzie Fisch. Freshman defender Sydney Holland also has B-team experience as a libero. Freshman Kendal Van Minsel is one of only two varsity Lions listed as a setter.
The varsity roster begins the season with six seniors, seven juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen. Expected to see action in B-team and C-team games are freshmen Emerson Ingvalson, Jordis Neeley, Joelle Halverson and Katie Klug along with eighth graders Hailey Normann and Kylie Hammel plus seventh graders Izabel Kaufmann and Brinley Middendorf. There are 15 other sixth, seventh and eighth graders working out with junior high coaches Julianna Lile and Lauren Arneson. All four coaches are Spring Grove graduates. Taylor Elton returns as the varsity assistant and B-team/C-team coach. Morken launches her 11th season as the head coach.
the outlook
Morken likes “the culture and team chemistry” of the 2021 Lions, who (for the first time in two years) were able to enjoy a complete offseason summer experience, featuring league play in Winona, team camp at Augsburg College and the Breakdown Tournament at Rochester. The girls won an eight-team bracket at Rochester that included a pair of highly-regarded state powers, Class A Legacy Christian and Class AA Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.
Most of the serving rotation returns from a 2020 team that held its greatest statistical advantage by serving 91% to the opponents’ 85%. There were more than twice as many service aces as misfires.
The defense appears solid, especially if the girls are able to use their height to block successfully at the net. The Lions seek to improve on last year’s modest 14% hitting efficiency: the opponents attacked at 12%. “Error management,” according to Morken, will be the key for progress on offense. A three-year starting setter will be a major factor.
Last season, the team was experienced but young – this year, more experienced and more mature with six seniors and seven juniors. That likely accounts for Morken noticing more calmness and composure on the court this summer.
A year ago, the pandemic played havoc with the schedule and with player health and availability. Volleyball season started late and ended early. Uncertainty remains as all athletes embark – this year on schedule – on what appears to be a second pandemic season.
the conference
With Randolph having left the Southeast Conference, the East Division is reduced to five teams: Spring Grove, Houston, Lanesboro, Schaeffer Academy and Mabel-Canton – the latter having won the last 23 championships. With two matches against East Division rivals plus one match versus the six West squads, the Lions will play 14 conference matches. The non-conference slate consists of three tournaments – at Waukon (Iowa), Dassel-Cokato and Goodhue.
Last year, Spring Grove (8-4, 5-4 SEC) tied with Randolph for third place in the SEC East behind undefeated Mabel-Canton and runner-up Lanesboro and ahead of Houston and winless Schaeffer Academy. It was the Lions’ sixth straight varsity season at.500 or above. The B-team went 7-3.
the section
Minnesota volleyball is organized for the first time into four classes (previously three). Membership in Section 1A drops down from 25 to 20. With last year’s pandemic-reduced schedule, there were no postseason playoffs. The 2019 and 2018 section champion, Medford, is now in Class AA.
Watching from home
At the time this information was being submitted, there were no COVID restrictions for attending Spring Grove matches/games. However, Lion volleyball and football HOME games (that are played in the main gymnasium and football field) will again be shown live online but with a different streaming provider – the NFHS streaming service – by subscription at NFHSnetwork.com (click on “search for your school”). The streaming of away games depends on the host school’s streaming arrangement. Many also use NFHS, a national network. Information on the availability of those away games will be found on the Spring Grove school web site.
Lion volleyball the Last 7 seasons
2020 8-4 (5-4 SEC, 3rd tie East)
2019 19-10 (10-4, 2nd tie East)
2018 27-4 (12-2, 2nd East)
2017 22-7 (11-2 SEC, 2nd East)
2016 17-12 (10-4 SEC, 2nd East)
2015 15-13 (9-5 SEC, 3rd East)
2014 14-14 (9-5 SEC, 3rd East)
total 122-64 (.656)
the schedule
varsity approximately 7:15 p.m.
Thurs. Aug. 26 Southland
Tues. Aug. 31 at Lyle/Pacelli
Tues. Sept. 7 at Schaeffer Academy
Thur. Sept. 9 Lanesboro
Tues. Sept. 14 at Houston
Thur. Sept. 16 Glenville-Emmons
Sat. Sept. 18 at Waukon Tournament 9 a. m.
Mon. Sept. 20 at Mabel-Canton
Thur. Sept. 23 at Grand Meadow
Sat. Sept. 25 at Dassel-Cokato Tournament 8 a. m.
Thur. Sept. 30 Schaeffer Academy
Tues. Oct. 5 at Lanesboro
Thur. Oct. 7 Kingsland
Tues. Oct. 12 Houston
Thur. Oct. 14 Mabel-Canton
Sat. Oct. 16 at Goodhue Tournament 9 a.m.
Mon. Oct. 18 at LeRoy-Ostrander