SPARTAN SPORTS PREVIEW: GIRLS VOLLEYBALL | Bainbridge rolls with big changes on and off court

Published 3:01 pm Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Expect to see some movement in the lineup this season from the Spartans, as this year’s new Bainbridge volleyball team is a work in progress.

Head Coach Julie Miller said the team has a trio of top returners, but beyond that, the squad is largely untested at the varsity level.

Bainbridge’s power three are Emilia Dronkert (senior, setter), Hannah Wagner (senior, outside hitter) and Riley Kulfan (junior, middle hitter/outside hitter).

Miller said Wagner and Kulfan will serve as team captains, and she’s looking for a lot of help from Dronkert and Wagner, two members from last year’s varsity squad.

“Emilia and Hannah have both played at a high level, so they bring that experience,” Miller said.

“We don’t have very many seniors; we have four, but only two saw playing time last year. So we’re kind of new in the experience part of it,” Miller noted.

Indeed, in addition to the four seniors (Dronkert, Wagner, middle hitter Adrienne Fountain and libero Erika Mattes), the 13 players on the varsity roster include six juniors, one sophomore and two freshman.

“We have some kids who have played last year, but have not carried the roles that they are going to be in this year. So it’s a little bit of an adjustment with the pressure and stuff that they’ll be experiencing,” Miller said. “We’re still kind of working that part out.”

The Spartans also had some notable departures from last year’s team. Bainbridge lost four players to graduation, including standout libero Emma Burgess, outside hitter Lauren Sheehan, setter Rowan Atherley and right side hitter Kyra Easley.

“Emma Burgess, my libero for four years, is now gone. Lauren Sheehan, one of our starting outside hitters, big, she hit really hard, she’s completely gone. Kyra, who’s always been really steady, right side player, she’s gone,” Miller said.

The changes have put this year’s lineup in a bit of flux, especially in the middle and back row.

“Right now Erika Mattes and Kate Merifield — we’re trying to figure out who’s libero and who’s DS [defensive specialist]. So they are both kind of fighting for that position,” Miller said.

Expect some changes as the season continues, she said.

“I’m still working on the lineup. I’m trying to work on finding another outside hitter, since Lauren is missing. We’re still kind of working on that,” Miller said.

Sage Wolter, a junior, has been moved to the OH position.

“She was on JV last year and she played middle, I have moved her to the outside to see if she can handle the passing and the hitting and kind of be somebody who can be consistent and keep the ball in,” Miller said.

Also encouraging is the growth of the Spartan volleyball program in the ranks of its youngest players.

Miller, who is also coaching the C team this year, said more than 50 players came out for tryouts. (Freshman Mary Burgess, an outside hitter, is the notable addition to the varsity squad.) And the JV roster boasts six freshman, while the C team’s entire squad is made up of ninth-graders.

“We heard the freshman class was really into volleyball, and I think that definitely shows by how many girls came out,” Miller said. “It was really nice to see that many girls wanting to play volleyball.”

For the varsity team, however, some challenges are already apparent early this season.

“Our ball control and passing isn’t very good. So we need to work on that,” the coach said.

“Our communication and our aggressiveness on the court isn’t always very good, either. There’s a lot of balls that are dropping between people. So that’s got to go away.

“I do like that the kids want to get better and they are trying to get better,” Miller added. “It’s just going to be a work in progress. And as long as we grow throughout the season, that’s the most important thing.”

It will be an extended campaign in the Metro League, however, given the realignment of the conference since last year.

“It’s going to make for a longer Metro tournament, for sure, because we have more teams,” Miller noted.

Gone are the mandatory crossover matches with the public schools in the league, which gives the Spartans the opportunity to play four games against non-conference teams.

“We were allowed four non-league games, which is nice because then we got to play teams on this side of the water. Before we could only play two teams,” Miller explained.

That said, the Spartans will only play three non-conference teams this year as South Kitsap canceled their scheduled matchup with Bainbridge.

The hardest battles, as always, will come in Metro League play.

“As always, the Metro is really, really tough. I think there have been at least three teams already ranked in the top 10 in the state. So it’s going to be as tough as usual,” Miller said.

“It won’t be easy to win. Every night will be a challenge,” she said. “It’s just going to be that way.”

The Spartans players have a goal of beating every team they play at least once.

Miller, on the other hand, is hoping to have the team gel by the time post-season play arrives.

“I would like to finish middle of the pack in the regular season in Metro. That would be a big goal for us to set,” she said.

“I don’t think we’re ready necessarily to be the top. And then just to be peaking by that time of post-season play — where everybody has kind of got their set positions and their set roles and kids are working hard, and we’ve cleaned up from making so many errors — that would be my goal for this team.”

The next big test will come soon, however.

Bainbridge is scheduled to welcome No. 4 Lakeside to Paski Gymnasium on Monday, Sept. 29.

There won’t be much of a breather after that. The Spartans play host to No. 5 Holy Names on Monday, Oct. 6.