Minooka volleyball squad sets high hopes in 2008
By MARK JOHNSON
mjohnson@morrisdailyherald.com
A two-game, season-opening loss Wednesday to Joliet Catholic Academy has done little to temper the high hopes of the Minooka varsity girls volleyball team for 2008.
The Indians will kick off the Southwest Prairie Conference portion of their schedule Tuesday with a match at Oswego East. A varsity roster 18 players deep makes second-year Indians coach Jill Nehring believe that success, both within the conference and outside of it, is attainable this season.
Senior Lyndsay Kooi is back to serve as setter for Minooka, and fellow senior Alex Hill will play in the middle, along with freshman Stacey Perinar. Junior Jacki Kaluzny and sophomore Dariyan Hopper are expected to play predominantly on the outside. Senior Brooke VanAsdlen is the hitter on the right side. Senior Brea Rivera and junior Megan McMillin are fighting for time in the back row. Libero duties will be shared between senior Ashley Eining, a transfer from O'Fallon, and junior Natalie Nurkowski.
Providing depth on the roster are senior defensive specialist and right hitter Maggie Alkofer, junior setter Megan Singletary, junior outside hitter Margo Bassett, junior outside and right hitter Morgan Novak, junior outside hitter Allie Cherry, junior setter and defensive specialist Emily Benkovich, junior middle Mackenzie Wandless and junior libero Ariel Diamond.
“We are a very versatile team,” said Nehring. “I have three girls who could be strong players in a couple positions and have a full (junior varsity) team this year. I think that will keep us working hard all season, knowing there is someone right behind each girl waiting to step in and take their place.”
Some areas are still in need of some slight improvement if the Indians are to significantly better their 14-17-2 record from a year ago.
“The girls are a strong and aggressive-hitting team,” said Nehring. “However, to be able to run the quick offense that we are capable of running, we have to improve on our serve receive and defense. We again have depth in the defensive positions, so I hope that helps us become a stronger passing team. We are much improved from last year, but still have a ways to go.”
Minooka has established some goals for conference play and for the postseason. Last season, the Indians fell to Normal Community 25-16, 25-15 at their own IHSA Class 4A Regional.
“We would like to make a run at (becoming) conference champs,” said Nehring. “This would mean defeating Plainfield North, who has at least shared the title for the past two years.
“The girls are also looking to compete in the postseason. We lost in the regional championships to a tough Normal Community High (team) last season, and will probably see them again this year. They did not lose much as far as talent goes, and according to some polls, are nationally ranked this year. We hope, by the end of the season, that we are playing at our best and can make a run at a lot of teams.”
Within the SPC, Nehring expects to face several teams that have equally high hopes of contending for first place.
“I would like to see us atop the conference this year,” she said. “Teams I think we will have to beat in big matches to achieve that are Plainfield North, Oswego East and Plainfield Central. Plainfield North and Central shared the conference title last season, so you have to look for them to return tough again this year. Oswego East has improved tremendously since they opened and have played us tough, at the end of the season last year.”
In addition to the match on Tuesday, the Indians will face Oswego East at home on Oct. 2. They are scheduled to face Plainfield North Sept. 23 at home and Oct. 16 on the road and Plainfield Central Thursday at home and Oct. 7 on the road.
