Mounder volleyball will need to fill void left by large departing class
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THE ELK MOUND Volleyball team lost a dozen players via graduation including a trio of all-conference performers. The 2023 squad which begins play this week is pictured above. Front row (L to R): Abigail Xiong, Addison Stroh, Gracie Loy, Allison Cronk, Brooke Svihovec, Aubrey Lipscomb and Alexa Teegarden. Second row (L to R): Autumn Moquin, Keira Mthison, Olivia Nechanicky, Jacey Raven, Katie Rosenthal, Kara Woodford, Lexi Joachim, Allie Robel, and Violet Carstensen. Third row (L to R): Carissa Marko, Abby Wolf, Silona Vang, Kendra Garnett, Lauren Gabert, Maddie Gehweiler, Claire Roff, Kaelyn Dittner, and Elli Beskow. Back row (L to R): Lydia Levra, Trina Nelson, Addie Dean, Andrea Rosenthal, Allie Roder, Miley Carlton, Loftyn Awe, Taylor Frinack, Alexa Severson. Not Pictured are Savannah Nechanicky and Carmen Clark. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
ELK MOUND — Ryan Grimm, who begins his fourth season as head coach of the Elk Mound volleyball team, has a lot of spots and talent to replace if the program is going to find success on the courts in 2023.
The Mounders and Grimm are tasked with replacing a dozen players, several of which were starters a year ago, that graduated from the program including three all-conference honorees.
Gone from last season’s squad that finished 5-2 in the Dunn-St. Croix (third place) and 10-24 overall, are setter Tori Blaskowski, a first team all-conference selection that led the team in assists (169), and digs (61) and added service aces (14); middle hitter Gracie Carlton, a second team all-conference player that registered a team-leading 70 kills and 15 blocks (6 solo and 9 assisted) and had 9 service aces; and honorable mention all-conference outside hitter Stella Rhude who finished the 2022 season with 64 kills and 15 service aces and 25 digs.
Joining those three in walking across the graduation stage this past May were middle blocker Kate Mohr (32 kills), Lillian Vang (100 serve receives), libero and defensive specialist Brooke Emery (57 digs), middle blocker Lauren Garnett (78 serve receives, 31 kills, 53 digs and 10 service aces), Grace Roder (20 kills), Sierra Simpson, Karsyn Heath, and Aleah Kurtzhals.
That’s a lot of production and experience that Elk Mound must replace this season.
“We have a large group of seniors that we lost from last year,” state Grimm. “We lost a majority of our hitting group and our top setter.”
Returning to lead this year’s squad will be senior Lydia Levra, a starter from a year ago and one of the Mounders top defensive specialists and libero. Levra recorded 152 serve receives and led the squad with 74 digs. Allie Roder, a junior middle hitter who tallied a dozen blocks last season, will be counted upon to solidify the front row.
Grimm noted that his team has a bigger group of young talent that will be counted on to fill some big shoes including three sophomores – Miley Carlton, Loftyn Awe and Taylor Frinack.
A strength of this year’s team may be its mindset according to Grimm.
“The team is vibing well together despite not having a lot of playing time together as a whole,” he stated.
A weakness will be the team’s youth and inexperience.
“We haven’t spent a lot of time working together,” noted Grimm.
Statistically, the team would like to have their first-ball serve receive percentage higher than last season.
As for a goal, Grimm would like to see this year’s team make a playoff run past the first round of regional action.
“I am excited to see how our team fares this season. With the young talent and an eager group of girls with a vivid vision on where they see themselves as a team, we have a lot of growth that can take place by the playoffs,” concluded Grimm.
Jennifer Garnett will once again be assisting with the coaching duties.
The Mounders opened play yesterday at a quadrangular meet in Barron. They will compete in the Menomonie Sprawl at UW-Stout this Friday and Saturday and host a quad next Tuesday, August 29.
A complete roster by grade was not available at press time.