Team: Howells-Dodge
Mascot: Jaguars
Colors: Green, Black, and Silver
Class: C-2
Head Coach: Neil VanLengen (332-187 career record)
2016 record: 25-7
Returning Starters: 3
Overview:
The Howells-Dodge Volleyball Team lost quite a bit of talent off last year's 25-7 team. Head Coach Neil VanLengen's Jaguars return three starters. "Returning players we got Erin Prusa (MB 6’0 11 2) coming back, she'll be a big force for us this year. And Macey Kulhanek (OH 5’4 12 3) is a great ball handler, and I think she'll pry do a little hitting this year. She was at libero last year. And Jessi Brester (OH 5’9 11 1) is a returner as well. So we'll kind of lean on those three."
VanLengen says sophomore Alyssa Coufal will be one of the team's setters.
Other notable players include Tonya Brester (OH 11), McKenna Klosen (OH 11), Hannah Bayer (OPP 11), Grace Dvorak (MB 11), Taya VanLengen (OH/L 10), Madyson Cech (MB/RH 10), and Grace Kreikemeier (OH 10).
Howells-Dodge figures to be young and inexperienced, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Jaguars won't be good, in my opinion.
Kulhanek and Prusa should have something to say about how this season goes for Howells-Dodge, and I look for both of them to have outstanding and monster like seasons.
VanLengen says things will be different this year from a personnel standpoint. "We will be very young and inexperienced. We graduated 6 players that started last year. Prusa will move from Opposite to Middle, and Kulhanek may move from Libero to OH. Brester should still be an OH for us, but all other players will be new this year. We had a decent JV team last year, so I am looking for those players to step up to the varsity level, but it could be a steep learning curve moving to the varsity level."
Key losses include Kalli and Samantha Brester. Those players, among others, will definitely be missed, but it's time for a new group and crop of Jaguars to make a name for themselves in Howells-Dodge lore and Volleyball history.
I think this team has a lot of potential, and I think they could actually start off well given their schedule, but the Jaguars will be tested throughout the year there's no doubt about it. Everyone will give Howells-Dodge their best shot without a doubt so the Jaguars are going to have to be ready to rock and roll night in and night out.
This group of Jaguars is going to have to grow up in a hurry to live up to and meet the expectations laid forth by Howells-Dodge teams of the past, in my opinion.
Season Outlook:
Howells-Dodge kicks off their season next Thursday at home against West Point-Beemer. VanLengen says the match doesn't figure to be easy. "We saw them a little bit this summer, and they'll be similar athletically to what they did in the past. They've got some great athletes there, and they're going to hit the ball hard and be aggressive. The new coach you never know...I've met him a couple of times, and I think he's going to do a great job with them. And he'll have them ready to play that's for sure. And that'll be the interesting part. May not know exactly what they're going to be doing, but like I said I know a few of their athletes, and I know they're very good athletes so it's going to be a challenge for us right off the bat."
The Jaguars downed the Cadets on two separate occasions last season.
Things could definitely be different this time around given all the experience West Point-Beemer has back, but it wouldn't surprise me if Howells-Dodge found a way to win.
I think the schedule is light enough in the first half of the season for the Jaguars to find their way and have success.
Things appear to be tougher in the second half of the season for Howells-Dodge, but by then the Jaguars should have their kinks worked out.
I think the East Husker Conference figures to be very interesting this year. You have Stanton and North Bend Central at the top, but it's sort of a toss up after those two and perhaps Humphrey Lindsay/Holy Family, in my opinion.
Howells-Dodge has been a top team in the conference in recent years so it will be interesting to see if the Jaguars can sustain their success in the East Husker Conference Tournament, and make some noise.
Howells-Dodge is in Sub-District C2-4 with Stanton, Wisner-Pilger, Battle Creek, and Lutheran High Northeast.
Very tough Sub-District so we'll see what sort of shape the Jaguars are in by the time the postseason rolls around.
A very good Howells-Dodge team got left home last year and didn't make state so you can bet this year's Jaguars' squad will be out for revenge and redemption.
Howells-Dodge may not have the same veteran experience and leadership they had last year and in years past, but the Jaguars should have a lot of young, raw talent that develops and grows as the season progresses.
I think you could see Howells-Dodge stumble out of the gate a little bit, but the Jaguars should get better and challenge quite a few teams on their schedule.
2017 Howells-Dodge Jaguars Volleyball Schedule:
08/31/17 West Point-Beemer
09/02 (To Be Determined) Hartington-Newcastle Quadrangular (4-Team Round Robin) Hartington
09/05/17 Scribner-Snyder Triangular (host: Scribner-Snyder)
09/05/17 Cedar Bluffs Triangular (host: Scribner-Snyder)
09/09 (To Be Determined) Howells-Dodge Tournament (4-Team Round Robin) Howells
09/12/17 @ Wakefield
09/14/17 Logan View
09/19/17 @ Lutheran High Northeast
09/26/17 BRLD Double Triangular (host: Wisner-Pilger)
09/26/17 Wisner-Pilger Double Triangular (host: Wisner-Pilger)
09/28/17 Oakland-Craig
09/30-09/30 (To Be Determined) Clarkson-Leigh Tournament (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams) Clarkson
10/03/17 @ Stanton
10/07 (To Be Determined) Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Tournament (4-Team Round Robin) Humphrey
10/12-10/14 (To Be Determined) East Husker Conference Tournament (2/3-Day Tournament) Logan View/Logan View High School
10/17/17 North Bend Central
10/19/17 Tekamah-Herman
10/24/17 Pender Triangular (host: Pender)
10/24/17 West Point-Beemer Triangular (host: Pender)
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