Cut To the Chase
Goessel Varsity Volleyball @ Herington Quad Tuesday August 30, 2016
Eden Hiebert smazollaed a crosscourt hit to lead off the 2016 girls volleyball campaign at Herington Tuesday night. It’s a new season for Coach Crysta Guhr and this squad will be looking young; Goessel graduated three perennial all-state seniors earlier this year. The 2016 team has exactly one senior, Olivia Duerksen, but returns first team all-stater Eden Hiebert and several other players who were members of the most recent Bluebird successes. This year’s Bluebird theme is “Chase” or “The Chase” and each Bluebird player will be defining what they are pursuing, hunting, moving toward, and seeking to find. Certainly, there will be other teams “chasing” the Bluebirds as they seek to mold a new team and bring out the best within each individual on the floor.
Leading off for the Blue are Senior Olivia Duerksen, Juniors Brittney Hiebert, Eden Hiebert, and Leah Booton; setting this year is Junior Savanna Wuest. Rounding out the starting rotation are Junior Kara Burkholder and libero Sophomore Madison Smith. Additional players on the bench tonight include: Sophomores Cierra Nolte, Audessi Unruh, Stephany Meyer, and Freshmen Elizabeth Alderfer. Freshman JV players also include Sophomores Delica Ewert and Riley May as well as Freshmen Alyssa Burkholder and Brooke Nafziger. Head Coach is Crysta Guhr, Assistant Zana Manche, and Manager Renee Nolte.
Goessel v. Ell-Saline
Both teams shook off the cobwebs in the early going. Fans indicated this Bluebird team has worked hard and improved since summer league. Fans have also noted that each player has put in an enormous amount of work this summer, including summer league(s), many miles travelling to weights and conditioning, camps, etc. With new team alignments and roles, it will take a few turns on the court to bring total cohesion; the spirit of the squad looks excellent as always! Against a short and out-gunned 2A Cardinal squad, the Bluebirds put the first set away easily 25-7. With booming crushes from the left side from #7, exquisite touches in the middle from #17 and #15, and carousing slam dunks from #19, the Bluebirds look strong at the net. Blocking, even in this first match, looked solid. Goessel is also a perennial power on the serve and this year’s servers look like that tradition is kept intact. With varying touches and solid positioning, serve looks like an offensive asset again in 2016. Goessel’s young defensive players will need to develop quickly and chase all that is within them on serve receive/pass to make this team into a juggernaut.
In the 2nd set, the Bluebirds showed some of their abilities, earning 20 of the 25 points. Olivia served to 5-1 with finishes from Eden and Brittney, including some awesome hang time from #17. Cierra notched her first varsity earned point with a dual block with Britt. Eden pulled up and mamooosed one all the way to Hope in the middle. Leah flummoxed three beautiful kills left side in a row and the “Savanna Slide” short sets/slide sets all worked. Sloppy play gave the Cardinals 7 in the set, but the opponent only earned 3 points and the set closed 25-10.
Goessel v. Haven
3A Haven made the first set interesting after an exuberant Bluebird start. With Leah at the line, #19 plopped in two marvelous “Myrtle balls,” soft serves that simply drop with a twist of the nose. Two double down blocks left it at 10-1 when Haven’s Bontrager brought the Wildcats to life. At 14-11, Goessel called time. Faster than you can say “Loganbill” the Cats were tied 14-14, earning 10 points against a sagging Bluebird 6. With an ace and an error they were up 14-16, but Eden stepped up and slammed home a back row kill to answer. Leah notched a perfecto tip left side to tie at 18 and Olivia got the back set and the net roll. Time out Haven. Eden pummeled one home to take the 2 point lead but Haven hammered back, earning six more points to knot at 22, then up 22-24. Their serve sailed long to save the set, then Eden got a left side block on Yutzy to tie 24-24. Eden and Britt combined with a superb middle block, then Eden rose up on the outside left and in perfect rhythm found the Wuest wonder set, put a crafty bullet bazooka in play and it caromed off the block for the 26-24 win.
Again in the 2nd set, Goessel remained on task, running it to 15-3 before allowing the Cats a little meow and a return to 25-9. Brittney had three consecutive aces and Eden and Britt closed out play after play.
Goessel v. Herington
Despite the home team’s height there was not much left in the Railers’ floor tank and both teams were ready simply to call it a night. Highlights for Goessel included several great Eden swats including one that merited the Eden Stomp. Blocking was terrific forcing the opponents to go up nearly every time. Cierra got her first varsity kill on a left side punch. Olivia looked ferocious with the middle touches. Goessel put the Railers away 25-10 and 25-11 to close out the first volleyball matches of the new season.
Congratulations to this team for chasing the good within and letting it shape what shows up on the court…. Great may sometimes not mean a W. Looking forward and not resting on the wonderful successes of the past years. Goessel’s program was honored last year with recognition of its top to bottom quality from very young all the way through to high school. “The Chase” will inspire, lead, and ask each player, parent, fan, etc. to continue to dig deep to find those things that will have others say, “no matter the result on the floor, this team is a winner.”
