The 2018 volleyball season starts with a switchero. Kingsland embarks on its inaugural season in the SEC. They join M-C, Houston, Lanesboro, and SG in the East division. The SEC has 11 teams. Their departure from the TRC makes it a 12 team league (again). The top returning county team, the only squad to bring home hardware last year (SEC East champs, 1A East Runner-Up), is Mabel-Canton. The Cougars (28-6) were one of only two FCJ covered squads to finish above five-hundred. Fillmore Central (20-8) was the other. Those two strong programs will look to stay that way. Kingsland (14-18), R-P (10-17), Houston (7-14), Chatfield (6-24), and Lanesboro (5-26) will look to improve. There is only one coaching change of the seven schools.
For the first time since 2010, Lonnie Morken’s Mabel-Canton Cougars enter the season having not won 30 games the year prior. M-C “settled” for a “measly” 28-6 campaign in 2017. They aced the SEC (14-0) and made the 1A East title game, falling to rival, eventual Section Runner-Up, Caledonia 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 22-25, 19-25). The Cougars lost their top two hitters in All-SEC picks Savannah Slafter (274 kills) and Dakota Delaney (317 kills). But that is all that departed. All-SEC picks Maddy Michels and Kenidi McCabe return to lead a troupe that won’t be tall (as usual), but is still the favorite in the SEC, and a 1A East contender. Michels (5’6” Sr. MH), a two-time All-SEC pick and four-year starter, is the team’s top returning attacker (207 kills). In her first full year at setter, McCabe (5’4” So.) registered 1,008 assists (second most in a season in M-C history), adding 227 digs and a team-high 62 aces. Seniors Lexi Thorson (5’5” OH) and Hannah Snell (5’4” DS) also return. Thorson had a team-high 301 digs with 57 aces. The fifth-year starter already has over 1,000 career digs and was All-SEC as a sophomore in 2016. Snell returns 203 digs. Down in the junior class, Payton Danielson (5’3” OH) and Avery Davis (5’8” RH) are returning full-timers. Danielson (145 kills, 57 aces, 249 digs) played all the way around. Davis had 95 kills. M-C returns four girls who notched over 200 digs. They have four regulars back who served at plus-90%. Sarina Stortz (5’9” Jr. MH), Lauren Wyffels (5’3” So. setter), Jordyn Newgard (5’4” So. OH), and Kaylor Soiney (5’3” So. DS) got some action last season. There will be some offensive re-booting but, as has been the case the last few years, M-C has a couple good athletes every grade. They have three tourney’s (M-C Labor Day, Class A Showcase, Brainerd) on top of the SEC schedule.
Fillmore Central took a shot at M-C last season. The teams hooked up in the 1A East semis, where the Falcons’ season ended. Travis Malley’s girls were felled by the Cougars 3-1 (25-23, 17-25, 12-25, 24-26). FC went 11-1 in the TRC, taking second place, only falling to Caledonia. They finished 20-8, giving the program its fifth 20-win season in the last seven years. Some good kids graduated, including the top two hitters, All-TRC picks Cailey Rindels (257 kills, 387 digs) and Kaelyn Marzolf (256 kills). FC returns two All-league selections in third-year players Paige Donlinger and Madison Scheevel. Stacked on top of one another, the duo is less than 11 feet tall. Their numbers last year were thus impressive. Scheevel (5’5” Sr. setter) had 721 assists, 268 digs, 85 kills, and 35 aces (96% serving). The third-year player is over 1,000 career assists. Donlinger (5’3” Sr. OH), also in her third year, exploded on to the scene with 210 kills, 329 digs, and 45 aces. FC has seven total seniors. Charity Daniels (5’10” RH > 96 kills) and Katrina Bergey (5’2” DS > 122 digs) were in the mix last year. Daysha Erickson (5’5” DS), Maddy Bakken (5’3” DS), and foreign exchange student Stella Schrüfer (5’9” OH) round out the crew. The Falcons also return starting libero Kjerstiana (K.J.) Corson (5’4” So.), who had big freshman year defensively (319 digs). She was All-TRC HM. The Falcons don’t have a ton of size. They come out of the gate with perennial powers Hayfield and Stewartville, then Big 9 squad Rochester JM, then Caledonia, then the Apple Valley Invite. They have two other tourneys (W-K, Rochester Exchange) and their TRC schedule.
Hoping to make waves this year in the SEC are the Kingsland Knights. Team double-K went 5-7 in the TRC last year, 14-18 overall. It was another good rebound after Knight volleyball struggled for a number of years preceding 2015 and 2016. Kingsland ended last year losing to Caledonia 3-0 in the 1A East quarters. They took the Warriors to five games in the team’s regular season match-up. Sam Hanley returns for his second season. And why wouldn’t he come back. The SEC should offer up a few more wins and he has a trio of girls all approaching milestones. Looking to go from one conference, to another, and still be the top hitter, looking for 1,000 career kills, is senior Lauren Buchholtz. The 5’8’ outside hitter had a huge junior campaign, amassing 448 kills, 190 digs, and 57 ½ blocks. She topped 20 kills in a match seven times. And the ball should get to her often. Sister Ellie Buchholtz (5’8” setter) is also back. The sophomore had 688 assists last year, but will set and hit this year. Both Buchholtzs were All-TRC. Adding back-line continuity is fourth-year starter Taylor Zimmerman (5’3” senior libero). Zimmerman has been busy the past three years, with 285, 187, and 317 digs. The Knights will have to find a “second” hitter, as Kori Kruegel graduated (216 kills). Nora Jahn (5’6” senior MH > 73 kills, 52.5 blocks) was the Knights third leading hitter last year. Zimmerman and Jahn were All-TRC Honorable Mention. Jenna Schmidt (setter/DS), Hailey Westphal (MH) and Rachel Hansen (RH) round out a six-girl senior class. The Knights have three in-season tourneys (M-C, Apple Valley, Rochester Exchange) to go along with their SEC schedule.
After a number of years of good volleyball, Rushford-Peterson fell back some a season ago. The Trojans went 4-8 in the TRC, 10-17 overall. Nikki Schultz’s group was bounced 3-0 by Kingsland in a 1A East play-in contest. Four key players graduated off last year’s team, including their only All-TRC pick, Olivia Hoff. The Trojans will try to rebound behind this year’s eight-girl senior group, a pack headed by a pair of All-TRC HM picks Lauren Lawston and Kjersta Hinz. Lawston (5’8” OH) was R-P’s best all-around player a year ago, leading the team with 177 kills, adding 251 digs. She was the only Trojan with 100-plus kills. The athletic Hinz (5’11” MH) had 58 kills and 41 ½ blocks. Setter Peyton Hoiness (5’6” Sr.) returns to command the offense (386 assists, 143 digs). Kaitlyn Bieberdorf (5’7” Sr. OH > 76 kills) is a fourth returning full-timer. Alyvia Eide (5’4” So. DS), Alora Wilkemeyer (5’8” So. OH), Jaelyn Connaughty (5’5” Sr. setter), and Kaleah Davis (5’10” junior RH) played in 25-plus games in 2017. Julissa Trejo (5’4” DS), Cora Bauer (5’9” RH), and Megan Oian (5’8” DS) round out the seniors. Improved attacking will be a key. Seven Trojans had 100-plus attacks last year with none ‘killing’ over .100. The Trojans have two tourneys, M-C and W-K. They play home-and-home series with both Chatfield and L-A. They have six road games, two away tourneys, with only one home contest, to start the season.
Also looking to move back towards winning volleyball is Chatfield. The Gophers went 3-9 in the TRC, 6-24 overall (lost 3-0 to Red Wing in the 1AA East quarters). Taylor Salisbury has the distinction of being the only new coach for an FCJ covered team. She inherits a squad that had no All-TRC picks in 2017. Two underclassmen, Abi Hinckley (5’3” So. DS) and Kielan LaPlante (5’10” Jr. MH), were All-TRC HM. The duo gives Chatfield a returning statistical leader in four categories. Hinckley led the Gophers in digs (309) and aces (37), LaPlante in kills (186) and blocks (30). Three other Gophers to record over 100 kills are back. Senior Belle Berg (5’8” OH > 106 kills, 234 digs) is a third-year player while Paige Erickson (5’9” So. MH > 129 kills) and Mollie Henry (5’8” So. OH > 121 kills) got experience as freshmen. Alanna Goetzinger (5’10” Sr. OH) is a third returning front-line player. Chatfield had 636 kills last season. Returning players accounted for 585. The Gophers have three tourneys (Century, W-K, Cannon Falls). They have home-and-home series with R-P and L-A. Coach Salisbury is one of three sisters to be named All-TRC in volleyball. Gabrielle and Sheridan each were covered by the FCJ sports.
Houston volleyball went 4-9 in the SEC last year, 7-14 overall. The Hurricanes were bounced 3-1 by Lewiston-Altura in a 1A play-in contest. Returning coach Brianna Meyer’s top returnee is Ariel Scanlan (5’7” senior). A third-year player, Scanlan gives the ‘Canes stability at the setter position. She was team double-H’s All-SEC pick a year ago (322 assists, 53 aces). Houston has five total seniors. Gretchen Hill (5’4” libero > 150 digs) and Alyssa Rostad (5’4” OH > 103 digs) are returning starters while Kate Thompson (5’8” DS) and Arianna Florin (5’7” DS) round out the group. Underclassmen Becca Rostad (5’6” So. OH) and Jenny Albrecht (5’11” Jr. MH) are a couple other key returnees. Albrecht played as a frosh, but missed some of last year to injury. Houston has just the Cotter Tourney in addition to its SEC contests.
Lanesboro volleyball had a tough year in 2017. The Burros, after a couple of strong seasons, went 1-12 in the SEC, 5-25 overall. They were bounced by Schaeffer Academy 3-0 in a 1A East play-in game. Julie Schreiber is back to coach. Her only All-SEC selection, daughter Joelie Schreiber, graduated. The Burros do return All-SEC HM selection Peighton Prestemon (5’4”), a senior libero. She is one of two seniors with returning starter Lexie Johnson (5’8” OH). Mady Haugen (5’10” Jr. MH), Payton Benson (5’6” Jr. OH), Ella Cambern (5’6” Fr. setter), Sydney Taylor (5’7” So. RH), and Malia Tessum (5’6” Fr. OH) are five more returnees with varsity experience. The Burros have tournaments in Mabel, Winona (Cotter), and Wabasha in conjunction with their SEC schedule.
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