Team: Clarkson-Leigh
Mascot: Patriots
Colors: Red, Blue, and Gray
Class: C-2
Head Coach: Becky Schneider (8th season) (100-123 career record)
2018 record: 24-8 (Lost to Stanton in Sub-Districts)
Returning Starters: N/A
Overview:
Clarkson/Leigh Volleyball returns just 2 varsity players from last year's team that saw 7 seniors graduate. Head Coach Becky Schneider says this year's team is young, but has a lot of promise.
"The girls that we have are young, they're a little bit inexperienced. The one other returner varsity letterwinner, Cassidy Hoffman (JR, MH), she's doing a great job leading the team, kind of taking control out there in practice and stuff. And the others have some big shoes to fill, but they've been nothing short of all the expectations. They've been pushing themselves, working hard, and I mean they've been pushed the last couple of years, so they're really stepping it up and we're kind of impressed with what we've got going on right now."
Schneider says Ashlynn Novotny is out with an injury at the moment.
Newcomers include Kennedy Settje (SO) and Kayden Schumacher (JR) on the outside.
Senior Kim Stodola will also play middle, and Makenna Held (SO) takes over at setter.
Others on the team include Reagan Settje (SR, RS), Taylor Larson (SR, RS), Alissa Kasik (JR, DS), Brittany Urbanek (SR, DS), and Bailey Lemburg (JR, DS/S).
Beth Wiese, Kaegan Held, Halee Steffensmeier, Hannah Kasik, Paige Moore, Holly Kuhr, and Sara McEvoy all graduated last year.
Schneider has this preseason assessment of her team. "Weakness: We are young, lack depth and lack varsity experience. Strength: This group is very athletic, hard-working and has played together for the last few years. They know the expectations of the season and will do everything in their power to be successful!"
I think the biggest thing for this year's Patriot squad is believing.
Clarkson/Leigh has to believe in themselves and each other, and has to go out there each and every night expecting to win.
This program has done a lot of winning the last couple of years in particular, and this year's team has to take it upon themselves to keep things going.
Last year's senior class set the bar for Patriot Volleyball, and now this year's team has to build upon that.
Clarkson/Leigh can be good too, they just have to work hard, be confident, and play aggressive, but smart Volleyball all season long.
Season Outlook:
Clarkson/Leigh looks to continue the winning ways this season that last year's senior class established.
Schneider says the confidence of this year's team is a work in progress.
"They think that last year's group was really stellar. They don't think that they can be as successful, but we totally see that, and we're trying to get that motivation across to them that they can be just as good if not better. That's kind of what we strive for every year anyway is to be better than the last year."
The Patriots open up the season at Howells-Dodge on September 3rd.
The Jaguars have a lot of girls back, and have a new coach, and that should be a good and interesting match to say the least.
It's a rivalry match, and you know Clarkson/Leigh will be up for that match.
The Patriots appear to me like they lack confidence right now though.
Maybe it's just because how talented last year's senior class was, but the good news about that is this is just the preseason.
Their confidence can grow and be developed as we are only in the first week of practice.
There's a long time between now and the first match, and I think having a while before playing a match is a good thing for this team.
Clarkson/Leigh has to take it upon themselves to honor what last year's senior class did, and come out and make a name for themselves.
The Patriots have to keep it going if at all possible, and continue the winning ways of Clarkson/Leigh Volleyball.
Last year's senior class worked extremely hard over the course of their 4 years at Clarkson/Leigh, and this year's team has to work just as hard if not even harder.
I'm sure some of that work ethic last year's senior class had has rubbed off on this team, and I think it's simply a matter of time before the Patriots figure things out and put things all together prior to the first match.
I feel the Patriots have a fairly tough and challenging schedule this year, but should get the most out of themselves night in and night out.
2019 Clarkson/Leigh Patriots Volleyball Schedule:
09/03/19 @ Howells-Dodge
09/05/19 Madison Triangular (host: Clarkson/Leigh)
09/05/19 Stanton Triangular (host: Clarkson/Leigh)
09/10/19 BRLD
09/12/19 Pender
09/19/19 High Plains Community Triangular (host: Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family)
09/19/19 Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Triangular (host: Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family)
09/21-09/21 (To Be Determined) Stanton Tournament (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams) Stanton
09/24/19 Twin River
09/28-09/28 (To Be Determined) Hampton Tournament (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams) Hampton
10/01/19 Logan View/Scribner-Snyder (LVSS)
10/03/19 @ Schuyler
10/05-10/05 (To Be Determined) Clarkson-Leigh Invite (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams) Clarkson
10/08/19 Shelby/Rising City Triangular (host: Shelby/Rising City)
10/08/19 Lutheran High Northeast Triangular (host: Shelby/Rising City)
10/10/19 @ Humphrey St. Francis
10/12 (To Be Determined) Wisner-Pilger Varsity VB Classic (4-Team Round Robin)
10/17-10/19 (To Be Determined) East Husker Conf. VB Tour. (2/3-Day Tournament) Pender High School
10/22/19 Oakland-Craig
No comments:
Post a Comment