North Bend Central looks to reload

Team: North Bend Central

Mascot: Tigers

Colors: Orange and Black

Class: C-1

Head Coach: Amy Sterup (13th season)

2017 record: 31-3 (Took 4th at State)

Returning Starters: 2

Overview:

The North Bend Central Volleyball Team looks to retool and reload following last year's spectacular season in which the Tigers ran the table and made their second straight appearance at state, taking 4th place.

North Bend Central was hit hard by graduation as they return just two starters in Lauren Emanuel (6'1, MH) and Megan Ortmeier (5'8, OH).

Big losses include Kristin Lux and Brooke Fredrickson, who are both off playing college Volleyball now. Other big losses that I can recall are Kaitlynn Bjorklund and Hailey Bang.

The Tigers certainly lost a lot of good players and talent to graduation, but I feel North Bend Central has what it takes to continue their winning ways and have a good season this year.

I think Emanuel and Ortmeier are really going to need to step up their games given the departure of the four players I mentioned above.

They are the Tigers' two most experienced players, and I fully expect them to carry and lead this team.

It will be interesting to see what newcomers North Bend Central has this year....players we haven't heard of before.

I think there's a lot of unknowns about this year's Tigers squad.

I think North Bend Central can be really good again, but we really won't know until the Tigers hit the floor on Thursday.

North Bend Central opens up the season on Thursday at the Northeast Nebraska Volleyball Classic at Wisner-Pilger against Oakland-Craig and Wakefield/Allen.

I think both games will be good challenges for the Tigers to start off with.

This Northeast Nebraska Volleyball Classic is loaded with great teams and players though so North Bend Central is going to need to bring their best effort on Thursday and Saturday, there's no doubt about that.

I feel the Tigers will put a quality team and product on the floor, and we'll learn more about North Bend Central after Thursday and Saturday's matches hopefully.

I feel this tournament will be a good measuring stick to see where the Tigers are at in the early season to say the very least.

Season Outlook:

North Bend Central looks to continue their winning ways and tradition from years past.

13th year Head Coach Amy Sterup says the team can't wait to show what they can do. "We are looking forward to a season where we can grow as a team. Girls have worked hard in the offseason and cannot wait to get started. It is a new year with a brand new team on the court."

The Tigers are coming off arguably the best season in school history. Sterup says their approach remains the same. "We are taking it one game at a time, improving as the season progresses."

North Bend Central has some tough matches this year, and they include Wisner-Pilger, Oakland-Craig, West Point-Beemer, Malcolm, Howells-Dodge, Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, and Stanton.

I feel there are some for sure wins on the schedule for the Tigers too, and I look for North Bend Central to win a good chunk of their matches.

I don't know if the Tigers will be quite as dominant as they were last year, but I still look for North Bend Central to win 20 matches or more this year.

The Tigers are in Sub-District C1-6 with West Point-Beemer, Tekamah-Herman, Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, and Arlington.

I feel the sub-district is wide open, but also feel that North Bend Central will be right there in the end.

Sterup says subdistricts will be anyone's ball game.

I fully expect the Tigers to compete for sub-state and state berths once again this season.

Tradition doesn't graduate, and just because North Bend Central lost all these great players doesn't mean they can't reload and be successful.

Stanton, Wisner-Pilger, Clarkson/Leigh, and maybe even Oakland-Craig might have an edge on the Tigers in the experience department, but I still look for North Bend Central to be in the upper echelon of the East Husker Conference.

I feel this is a team that will get better as the year goes on, and play their best Volleyball at the end of the season.

I think you will see this Tiger squad be determined and hungry when they take to the floor this year.

A lot of these girls have waited their turn, and now it's their time to shine.

North Bend Central has to go out there and make things happen, and give it their all every time they take to the court.

2018 North Bend Central Tigers Volleyball Schedule:

08/30-09/01 (To Be Determined)                     Northeast Volleyball Classic (2/3-Day Tournament) Wisner-Pilger/Pender
09/06/18 @ Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family
     09/08 (To Be Determined)                           NBC Invite (4-Team Round Robin) North Bend Central
09/11/18 @ Wisner-Pilger
09/18/18 Oakland-Craig
09/20/18 @ West Point-Beemer
09/22-09/22 (To Be Determined)                     David City Invite (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams) David City
09/25/18 Twin River
09/27/18 @ Malcolm
10/04/18 @ Tekamah-Herman
10/09/18 BRLD
10/11-10/13 (To Be Determined)                     East Husker Conference Tournament (2/3-Day Tournament) TBA
10/16/18 Howells-Dodge
10/18/18 @ Columbus Lakeview
10/23/18 Logan View/Scribner-Snyder (LVSS) Triangular (host: Logan View/Scribner-Snyder (LVSS))
10/23/18 Stanton                                               Triangular (host: Logan View/Scribner-Snyder (LVSS))
10/25/18 Madison                                             Triangular (host: North Bend Central)
10/25/18 Shelby/Rising City                             Triangular (host: North Bend Central)