“This year’s team is coming in with a great deal of experience playing together as well as plenty of enthusiasm to perform at the highest level,” reported Askegaard.  “They are a talented group of ladies who love to play the game of volleyball.  They are strong leaders on the court and that will help their overall team performance down the stretch.  They play well with each other and are extremely competitive.  I expect to see great things on the court form this group of athletes.  This is their year to shine and they have set very high expectations for themselves.”

Twelve letter winners return, including seniors Samantha Passa (Outside Hitter), Jordan Tschumperlin (Middle Hitter), and Kimberly Maesse (Setter), and junior Emily Bredman (Middle Hitter), all of whom started last year and all of whom were All-Conference selections.

“Samantha has terrific court sense and is just like having another coach out on the court,” stated Askegaard.  “She reads players very well and can see plays before they happen.  She is a great defender as well as a strong offensive player.  Jordan is a strong middle attacker and phenomenal blocker.  She plays above the net with confidence.  Emily makes a great presence in the middle of the court.  She is very smart and competitive.  Kim is very quick on her feet and hustles after passes to provide her attackers with a perfect set.  She communicates well with her hitters and is a great leader.”

Players to watch include juniors Lexi Bolgrean (Outside Hitter), Katie Newell (Setter), Lauren Halverson (Right Side Hitter) and Anna Stanford (Outside Hitter) and seniors Olivia Sorenson (Right Side Hitter) and Allie Aadland (Libero).

“Lexi plays terrific team defense and has quick reactions to plays as they are happening,” commented Askegaard.  “Katie is quick to the ball and is smart with her setting placement.  Right side blocking is Lauren’s strongest asset in the front row for us.  She will be greatly utilized against teams that have a strong outside attack.  Anna is an extremely versatile player who will be used anywhere on the court this year.  She is a strong/smart hitter as well as a great defender.  Olivia is another smart senior who works hard on the right side.  She will be coming in to relieve our setters in the front row.  Allie is getting some court time this year for her senior season.  She is going to have a big defensive role to fill and she is up to the challenge.  She will be trading off with our middle blockers in the back row.  She is also a strong server.”

McKinzie Solum, Maggie Stickney and Taylor Anderson join the coaching staff as assistants.

Askegaard says Wadena-Deer Creek, Henning, Breckenridge and New York Mills will battle for the top spot in Section 6A, while Breckenridge, Perham and DGF have the upper hand in the Heart O’ Lakes Conference.