Sumner Volleyball: Returning players my help repeat of last year’s success
Published 4:13 pm Monday, August 31, 2009
By John Leggett | The Courier-Herald
If Sumner High School’s volleyball squad can capture any of the lightning in a bottle that it did last year, when the Spartans went 15-0 in league play and 27-2 overall, it should be in pretty good shape to position itself for a repeat of last season’s intimidating play.
Although the twin-tower kill combo of Amanda Dils and Jocelyn Levig graduated, coach Mike Fitzpatrick is confident that there are enough remnants from last year’s successful contingent that finished fifth at the WIAA 3A State Volleyball Tournament, to be competitive in this season’s 3A South Puget Sound League.
“Now that the starting nine has been established to make up the varsity unit, we can get down to the business of teaching strategies and drawn up plays,” said the longtime mentor.
“The girls have made one of their goals returning to state and doing a little better this time. They are a spirited bunch so it is possible that they could achieve what they have set their minds to do, but we are going to have to work even harder than we did last year to return because we will have a huge target on us.”
Fitzpatrick added that his squad should still be able to hold its own against the likes of Auburn Mountainview, Enumclaw, Lakes and Bonney Lake, crews that he considers to be the strength of the league annually.
The Spartans return Sidney Erickson, 6-foot, 1-inch senior outside hitter who started during the 2008 campaign, in addition to Kayla Roberts, another senior 6-footer who started last season and will be a fierce middle hitter in 2009.
Another pair of 6-footers are middle-hitting sophomore dynamo Carly Lange, who could be a fire starter in the middle and senior Jessica Vandergiessen, who crossed over from the soccer team in her final year at SHS. Fitzpatrick observed that Vandergiessen will be primarily a much-needed blocking threat for the Spartans this season.
Experienced senior setter Kailey Smith will most likely be holding down that duty throughout the year, while junior Janille Panula is also a back row specialist/libero type.
Finally, Sumner will boast an excellent tandem of defensive-minded outside hitters in sophomore Katee Hines and junior Katie Egbert.
To comment on this story, view it on-line at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald. Reach John Leggett at jleggett@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald or 360-802-8207.
