Volleyball season is back with some fierce competition in quads and tournaments. Hear what each coach is expecting as the year sees its first serves.

What is the team’s biggest strength?

Ellsworth Coach Emily Fedie: “I expect our volleyball team's strengths to be centered around our energy, unity and determination. We'll have a strong team dynamic, where everyone plays with a positive mindset, supporting one another both on and off the court. Our communication will be clear and consistent, helping us stay connected during each set. We'll thrive on resilience, always bouncing back from challenges with an 'Earn Every Point' mentality. Above all, our team will have a lot of heart, bring enthusiasm and positivity that drives us to improve and succeed together!”

Elmwood/Plum City Coach Amanda Webb: “We have seven returning players from last year, so that is one of our strengths. Our team works extremely hard every day to be better. Some of our girls have been in the weight room all summer, improving their strength and speed!”

River Falls Coach Sara Kealy: “Experience. We've played in the last nine section finals with seven trips to state. We should be very strong offensively this year with more depth than we've had in the past couple of years.”

Prescott Coach Geoffrey Snyder: “We have a brand-new team this year, with only two returning varsity players who saw significant playing time, but neither is returning to the same position. After just a week of practice, we are still working on coming up with our identity.”

Spring Valley Coach Kelli Schlegel: “We have a solid amount of returning starters from last season, so the team already has a good bond and a lot of cohesion. This team has big dreams, they work very hard and they play for each other. They celebrate the success of not only the team, but the success of each individual player and are there to cheer them on, no matter what!”

What will be the key to a successful season?

Fedie: “The key to a successful season will be a combination of teamwork, consistency and continuous improvement. Staying connected as a team will create a strong foundation. Consistency in our performance, focusing on executing the basics well and refining our skills with each practice, will help us build confidence and momentum. Finally, maintaining a growth mindset, and being open to continuous learning and growth, will allow us to constantly improve and stay adaptable. With the right mindset, we'll be able to push ourselves and each other toward success throughout the season!”

Webb: “A key to a successful season is how well our kids communicate and trust each other on the floor.”

Kealy: “Serve receive passing. In order to be able to utilize all of our weapons, we need to stay in system.”

Snyder: “Gelling as a team. Figuring out our roles on the court, both skills and personalities.”

Schlegel: “The key to a successful season will be keeping everyone healthy and on track to reaching our potential. We also need to continue to be resilient and get back up when knocked down.”

Who on the team will you look to for leadership?

Fedie: “This year, I will be looking to our returning varsity players for leadership. With half of our team having little to no varsity experience, it will be vital for them to learn from others and for all players to continuously 'show up' for one another. I also believe that every player brings something unique to the team, and when you empower everyone to take on a leadership role in their own way, it creates a well-rounded, resilient team. Whether it's someone pushing the team to stay focused, another providing that quiet, steady strength in key moments, or another being our team's biggest cheerleader, each form of leadership contributes to our overall success. By valuing everyone's contributions, we will build a culture of mutual respect and trust, where each player feels valued and invested in our team. Leadership by collective effort is truly powerful!”

Webb: “Leadership will likely come from our setter as she controls our offense, but we also have multiple players who contribute to leadership roles in different ways.”

Kealy: “Olivia Doerre is a four-year varsity player at libero. She is committed to playing D1 volleyball at UW-Milwaukee. We also have returners on the pin in all conference honorees, Amelie Pankonin and Brooke Dusek. We also have two returners in the middle with Addy Nesbitt and Charlie Cegielski.”

Snyder: “Our captains, Karlee Wall, Amanda Miller and Ruby Bernick.”

Schlegel: “We have a good number of leaders on this team, but I think they will look to senior Ella Stangl, who has started for me for all four years now. Ella is positive and someone the team can count on to get us points when needed.”

What are the team’s goals this year?

Fedie: “My goals for our team this year are centered around effort, growth and togetherness. First, we want to focus on giving 100% in every situation, ensuring we're constantly hustling, being scrappy and leaving it all on the court. We know that sometimes it's not about being the most polished team, but the one that outworks and outlasts others. Second, we are committed to constantly learning from our mistakes and improving our skills. I want our team to earn respect from others by playing competitively and putting up a fight against all teams in our conference. Finally, we want to build a tight-knit, supportive team dynamic. We believe when we trust each other and communicate effectively, we'll be able to overcome any challenges on the court. Our ultimate goal is to play with heart, resilience and pride in every match.”

Webb: “Our goal is to be competitive and to improve our skill set every day. We always want to be conference champs – there is some great competition in the DSC this year, so it will be exciting! After that, we turn our attention to tournament play!”

Kealy: “Our goal is always to win conference and go to state. We play a tough schedule so all of those weekend tournaments help prepare us for that.”

Schlegel: “Controlling the game the best that we can, both physically and mentally. A conference championship is always the number one goal, but we will continue to make small goals throughout the year to keep reaching for.”