2014 volleyball schedule

Cheyenne Ford, left, and Jessica Minear are among several Chieftain volleyball players with varsity experience. THS will try to improve on last year’s 13-24 finish.

Sept. 2 — vs. Turner

Sept. 4 — at Eudora

Sept. 8 — vs. Atchison

Sept. 11 — vs. Baldwin

Sept. 16 — at BLHS

Sept. 18 — at Pleasant Ridge

Sept. 20 — at Rossville Inv.

Sept. 23 — vs. Mill Valley

Sept. 25 — at Jeff West*

Sept. 27 — Tonganoxie Inv.

Sept. 29 — at KC Christian*

Sept. 30 — at Lansing

Oct. 1 — at Spring Hill*

Oct. 6 — at Washington*

Oct. 7 — vs. Piper

Oct. 11 — at De Soto

Oct. 14 — at Bishop Ward

Oct. 20 — at Perry*

Oct. 21 — vs. Bonner Springs

Oct. 25 — at Sub-state (TBA)

*Denotes triangular

With six seniors gone to graduation, it would be easy to assume the Tonganoxie High volleyball team is in for a dreaded rebuilding year in 2014. But, despite such a large roster overhaul, nothing could be further from the truth.

Seven players, including one transfer, will bring at least marginal varsity experience to the floor this season as the Chieftains begin their prospective journey to their first state bid in seven years.

THS has just two seniors in Jessica Minear and McLouth transfer Summer Cerny, but returns a myriad of underclassmen with significant playing time already under their belts. Junior Lauren Jackson begins her third season as the team’s starting setter, while fellow juniors Kaitlin Hall and Cheyenne Ford have seen varsity time off and on since they were freshmen. Additionally, sophomores Taylor Lee and Mykah Wingerter were in the varsity lineup last year.

“With only two of us (seniors), it helps working with the underclassmen,” said Minear, who moved up to the varsity ranks near the end of her junior season. “They help drills go faster because they already know what they’re doing, so it just helps everything run a lot faster and smoother.”

Following the team’s summer camp in June, players continued their offseason preparation in the weight room, as well as in voluntary workouts. That didn’t stop when coaches were no longer to work with the team, as players continued to meet at the middle school to get in additional reps before practice began earlier this month.

The level of participation has been encouraging to coach Tiffany Parker, who said she saw her squad start to turn a corner this summer after a 13-24 campaign last fall. THS fell to Basehor-Linwood in the opening round of sub-state.

“We had a pretty consistent turnout of kids who came in every day, wanting to get better and working really hard,” Parker said. “They had to do weights to get into the gym for volleyball, and they responded very well, even when they were tired. I’ve been really pleased with their efforts over the summer.

“We’re starting at a pretty high point for these first few practices of the season. That just leads me to believe that, come the end of October, it’s going to be real exciting.”

Newcomers include Cerny and sophomore Emily Hummelgaard. Cerny, a multi-year starter at McLouth, spent the summer working out at Purdue University in Indiana, where her father works for the alumni association. She enrolled at THS last winter and was at the team camp in June.

“I’ve had a lot of experience with volleyball, and right when I first played with the girls, I meshed with them really quickly,” she said. “There’s a lot of leadership, which helps.”

Hummelgaard has arguably the biggest shoes to fill, as she’ll step into the libero role vacated by two-year starter Marissa Martin. Martin, a 2013 All-Kaw Valley League first-team selection.

The team officially opened practice Aug. 18, and coaches and players alike said the level of competition was much higher than that of early-season practices a year ago. It’s a theme they hope will recur throughout the year and result in a trip to state at the end of the season.

“We need to keep working on being more of a team and encouraging others,” Minear said. “We need to make sure we’re excited and there for other people, and I think everything will come together.”

The Chieftains will start things off Sept. 2 with a home match against KVL opponent Turner. They’ll welcome nine schools to town Sept. 27 for the annual Tonganoxie Invitational. Gone from the team’s schedule is the De Soto Spikefest, a tournament it’s played in for the last several seasons. Instead, there are five triangulars scheduled against various non-league opponents.