This story is sponsored by Forward Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Area girls volleyball teams hit the courts last week for the first real action of the 2024 season.
Marshfield won the Sun Prairie East Invitational, Auburndale went 4-3 in Wisconsin Dells, Columbus Catholic won three-straight matches to finish 3-4 at the Menomonie Sprawl in two-day tournaments on Friday and Saturday, and Spencer and Stratford competed at the Marathon Early Bird Invite last Saturday.
Nonconference play continues this week before teams start their respective conference campaigns.
Here is a quick look at area teams heading into the 2024 season:
AUBURNDALE EAGLES
Coach: Kate Schmutzer, fourth year.
Last season: 12-18, 1-4 fourth place in Marawood Conference South Division.
Returning players: Sidney Wolff, jr., outside hitter; Lily Bellanti, so., outside hitter; Chesney Nagel, so., setter; Myah Katzenberger, so., middle hitter; Breleigh Grimm, so., hitter.
Top newcomers: Oriah Harris, so., middle hitter; Alana Steines, so., middle hitter; Kylie Anderson, jr., libero.
About the team: Nagel (436 assists) and Wolff (208 kills) were honorable mention all-Marawood Conference South Division last season.
Outlook: “We have seven returning athletes that saw playing time last year on varsity. The team goal is of course state. Expectations are that we will be competitive this year. The conference outlooks is tough as our conference is always competitive.” – Schmutzer
COLUMBUS CATHOLIC DONS
Coach: Kat Egle, 12th year.
Last season: 38-6 overall, 7-0 first place in Cloverbelt Conference East Division.
Returning players: Shelby Spata, jr., outside hitter; Aubrey Waldhauser, sr., middle blocker; Gracie Wilczek, sr., outside hitter; Alayna Egle, jr., setter; Delia Trader, jr., libero.
Top newcomers: Abby Kibbel, fr., middle blocker; Sophie Wilczek, so., defensive specialist.
About the team: Spata was an honorable mention all-Cloverbelt East performer as a sophomore, tallying 102 kills. Waldhauser had 27 block kills, Trader had 135 digs in her libero role, and Egle, who split time at setter, finished the 2023 season with 304 assists and 32 service aces.
Team strengths: “We have five returning players that have had varsity experience. The team has great chemistry and is great defensively. We will be running a fast offense with a variety of strong hitters.” – Coach Kat Egle
Outlook: “We always strive to be the best team we can be. The girls work hard to push each other every day. We believe we will be a strong team in our conference.” – Egle
MARSHFIELD TIGERS
Coach: Josh Knecht, first year.
Last season: 34-5 overall, 11-1 tied for first place in Wisconsin Valley Conference.
Returning players: Kailyn Kurth, sr., setter; Lauren Homolka, sr., middle hitter; Sophia Olson, jr., middle hitter; Alyssa Foemmel, sr., outside hitter; Sydney Quarne, sr., setter/defense; Devyn LeMoine, sr., opposite hitter; Zaida Kolbeck, sr., libero.
Top newcomers: Della Smith, jr., outside hitter; Hope Kelnhofer, sr., opposite hitter; Michelle Potts, sr., defense.
About the team: Kurth had 891 assists, Homolka finished with 247 kills and 89 blocks, and Olson had 82 blocks a year ago.
Team strengths: “Our team has eight seniors and two juniors who have played club volleyball. They are experienced, athletic and versatile in the ability to play more than one position if injuries pop up this year. Above all, I would say that our team chemistry is our greatest asset. All the girls respect what each other can bring to the team, and are really supportive of each other.” – Coach Josh Knecht
Outlook: “We have won the Wisconsin Valley Conference four years in a row, and we look to try to get that to five this year. D.C. Everest tied with us for the share of the conference title and bring back almost their entire team. Many of the other schools in the conference, I feel, will be much improved so the Valley Conference should be fun to watch this year.” – Knecht
SPENCER ROCKETS
Coach: Alicia Herman, fourth year.
Last season: 13-17, 3-4 tied for fourth place in Cloverbelt Conference East Division.
Returning players: Hallie Meyer, sr., setter/right-side hitter; Hannah Schreiner, sr., right-side/outside hitter; Shelby Frisch, sr., defensive specialist/libero; Alexa Stange, sr., libero/outside hitter; Alina Jackson, sr., defensive specialist; Emma Nieman, sr., middle/outside hitter; Autumn Davis, jr., middle hitter; Alexa Weber, jr., defensive specialist; Ema Schultz, jr., outside/middle hitter; Carmen Krause, so., outside hitter.
Top newcomers: Caitlin Clark, sr., right-side/middle hitter; Lydia Lau, fr., setter/libero/defensive specialist’ Olivia Schreiner, fr., middle/right-side hitter.
Team strengths: “Many of our girls on the team this year have been playing together from a very young age. They play as a unit and are very close relationship-wise. The chemistry they have off the court will, hopefully, drive the way we play the game on the court. They set high expectations for not just the varsity team, but for the program as a whole, and we are starting to see those expectations paying off.” – Coach Alicia Herman
Outlook: “Our conference is going to be exciting to watch this year. I think most nights will be a question mark of who is going to win the game, which also means we will have some thrilling five-set matches. We are excited about the challenge and we want to continue the growing success we have been having with being right in the mix for the top of the conference. When talking to the team, specifically the seniors, they want to have a successful season and leave the program better than where it was when they started. I can confidently say that they have already done this and I can’t wait to see what the team does as a whole this year.” – Herman
STRATFORD TIGERS
Coach: Brooke Kafka, 14th year.
Last season: 27-11, 5-0 first place Marawood Conference South Division.
Returning players: Emerson Roy, sr., setter; Kalyn Schueller, sr., outside hitter; Daisy Yoder, sr., middle hitter; McKenzie Novotny, sr., outside hitter; Tria Tubbs, jr., middle hitter; Laney Pankratz, sr., setter; Maggie Schwabe, sr., defensive specialist; Emma Roeper, sr., defensive specialist; Carly Pankratz, jr., outside hitter/defensive specialist.
About the team: Roy and Schueller return after earning unanimous first-team all-Marawood South honors in 2023 as the Tigers rolled to the championship undefeated. Yoder and Novotny were second-team all-conference picks while Tubbs earned honorable mention accolades. All five return as the Tigers try to make it back-to-back titles.