Defending champion Vikings’ volleyball focused on teamwork this season

By Cara L. Dempski

COLFAX — Words have power.

Just ask this year’s Colfax Viking volleyball team.

Head coach Pam Meredith started off 2017 by asking her team to think of empowering words to focus on for the season. When each girl, and all three coaches, finished decorating a sheet of paper with their chosen power words, they took a team picture.

Terms like “tenacious,” “zeal,” “determined,” “uplifting,” “fortitude,” and “commitment” made appearances as words of the season, but each player’s one-word message of empowerment adds up to one big idea: “teamwork.”

And that, Meredith says, was the point of the exercise.

“I want them to all be working together as a team,” she explained. “We rise together, we fall together.”

The Vikings enter 2017 having won Dunn-St. Croix championships the past four seasons, though they shared the honor with Mondovi in 2016. They also return to the court without four of last year’s team, but with an impressive group of returning talent.

The Lady Vikings finished 2016 with an overall record of 12-10 after a rocky start against some tough non-conference foes. They wound up going 7-1 in the conference.

Colfax said good bye to Bryana Buchanan, Megan Schleusner, Mady Decker and Erin Nellessen at the end of 2016. Buchanan led the team defensively with 163 digs in 2016 alone. The recent graduate was last year’s team MVP, and ended her high school career with over 1,000 career digs – the most in Colfax’s record books.

She was also a two-time all-conference honoree.

Schleusner saw plenty of action on the court her senior year, with eight kills, four service aces, and 83 digs. Her fellow graduates, Nellessen and Decker, combined for a total of nine aces and 78 digs.

This year, the Vikings sport just two senior players: Makayla Mattson and Ryanna Martinson. Mattson returns as a versatile hitter and four-year starter after proving an effective weapon on her way to 66 kills last year. Meredith describes Martin as a defense specialist who returns after earning a varsity letter in previous seasons.

Juniors Savannah Henricks and Alyssa Dachel lead a squad of six incoming juniors. Henricks reeled in 29 kills and a pair of sets last season, while showing a solid defensive side with four solo blocks and 16 block assists. She also picked up 24 digs on the season.

Dachel lent a hand at defense, contributing 19 digs last year. Fellow incoming juniors Kaitlyn Field, Emma Hurlburt, Madison Shipley and Taylor Meyer will also be looking for some hard time on the court in 2017 as they build to their senior season next year.

This year’s sophomore class blasted out of the gate in 2016 as freshman, with five players nabbing varsity letters in their first season of high school competition.

Kameri Meredith proved herself a versatile all-around player who logged 68 kills, 28 assists, 18 aces, and 127 digs on the season. Samantha Pretasky is back to use her height and reach to aim for a second season as the Vikings’ top solo blocker. She reeled in a total of 19 blocks last year.

Sophomore Rachel Scharlau returns after 68 kills on offense and 36 digs on defense. Jozie Buchanan returns as a letter winner, and is someone Meredith describes as a crafty player with high volleyball IQ.

Taylor Irwin rejoins the her classmates as part of a large sophomore class after earning a letter her freshman year. Meredith lists her as a defense specialist and setter; Irwin picked up four sets in 2016 and is credited with four digs.

Other sophomores joining the fray for 2017 are Elizabeth Dachel, Hailey Klukas, Josie Steinke, Alexis Snider, Kali Risler, Morgan Jensen and Addy Olson. They are followed by a group of six freshmen: Kayelyn Hagen, Brynn Bergeson, Brooklyn Stehling, Anna Geissler, Bailey Bradford and Abby Irwin to round out the Viking roster for this year.

Pam Meredith’s team was young last year, but with a lot of athletic talent. The Vikings picked up their fourth DSC title in a row, and sixth in eight years. This year, the team maintains its youth, but has set a goal to gain maturity not only in skills, but in mindset.

“Our players are diligently working on being great teammates, and understanding how to enjoy the ‘process over outcome’ concept,” Meredith explained. “We need to learn to be patient, appreciate and embrace what all team members have to offer, and focus on being ‘one-point warriors’ so we can let go of previous plays.”

The Vikings’ main goal in 2017 is to finish high in the conference standings, and the head coach said the players will need to be mentally and physically prepared for conference play after a strong non-conference schedule.

Colfax’s head coach said there continues to be some very talented players in the DSC, which will make for another exciting season. She anticipates some good match-ups, and is encouraging community members to stop by their local gyms on a Tuesday or Thursday night this fall to enjoy the competitive athleticism of the players.

Meredith is in her 11th year at the helm of Colfax’s volleyball program. In that time, she has led her team to six conference championships. She will be assisted this year by Linda Bilodeau, Lori Buchanan and Joan Ebnet.

The Vikings held a scrimmage at home this past Saturday, and played a quad at home August 22. They will open their season with a bang August 25 and 26 with tournament play at UW-Stout. They will then be back in action August 29 at Bloomer with a match against the Blackhawks.

Roster:

Seniors: Makayla Mattson and Ryanna Martinson.

Juniors: Kaitlyn Field, Emma Hurlburt, Savannah Henricks, Madison Shipley, Tayler Meyer and Alyssa Dachel.

Sophomores: Elizabeth Dachel, Hailey Klukas, Rachel Scharlau, Samantha Pretasky, Josie Steinke, Alexis Snider, Kali Risler, Morgan Jensen, Addy Olson, Taylor Irwin, Kameri Meredith and Jozie Buchanan.

Freshmen: Kayelyn Hagen, Brynn Bergeson, Brooklyn Stehling, Anna Geissler, Bailey Bradford and Abby Irwin.