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The Hillcrest volleyball team came on strong in the fall of 2022, finishing with an impressive 21-4 overall record and an 8-1 mark in the Little Eight Conference, sharing the LEC title with Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley. Debi Foss is in her tenth season as Head Coach. The Comets lost Hope Adams, Maddie Ballweg and Madi Foss to graduation, with Ballweg and Foss now playing for M State in Fergus Falls.
“As we enter the 2023 season, I’m excited to be back in the gym working with this amazing group of young women,” said Coach Foss. “We have close to fifty girls in our volleyball program, junior high through high school, and that is providing some great energy in the gym.”
The Comets return starters Emily Adams (JR, Hitter), Anna Brumfield (JR, Hitter), Ruby Peterson (JR, Setter) and Ella Knutson (SO, Hitter). Other returning varsity players are Kaia Miller (JR, Hitter), Chloe Walkup (SO, Libero) and Kenzie Miller (SO, Hitter).
“While we have some holes to fill, left by our graduating seniors, the team has already shown tremendous growth in the first few weeks,” noted Coach Foss. “I’m proud of the way they are learning to work with each other, especially in passing patterns. It’s also unique to not have any seniors on our varsity squad this year, but our juniors are embracing their new leadership roles. As a coach and as a team, we’ll want the mindset that our season is a work in progress. Always learning. Always growing.”
Sophomores Maddie Miller (Hitter) and Ruby Walkup (Hitter), and 8th-grader Elsa Retzlaff (Hitter/Setter) will also be in the varsity mix.
“Ruby will do a great job of running the offense as our setter again this year,” commented Foss. “She continues to show growth in her ability, consistency, and is becoming more dynamic in her play. I’ll be looking for Anna and Emily’s experience and physical strength to lead in the front row and rely on their consistency and voice in the back row. Ella Knutson’s all-around athleticism will continue to be an asset for us in the front and now in the back row. Even though my lineup isn’t quite set, I know that Kaia, Kenzie, Maddie, Elsa, and Chloe will all make substantial contributions to our team. I think Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, Henning and Underwood are the favorites in Section 6A and hopefully we are in that mix again! Our 2023 team theme is ‘Eyes UP’. We’ll use that them to constantly remind us to be Eyes UP to Jesus, Eyes UP to teammates (on and off the court), and Eyes UP to the game and all that it has to teach us. Go Comets!”