A look ahead: Small school volleyball

By Andy Krutsinger,

Mt. Pleasant News

Henry County gymnasiums will soon be filled again with volleyball fans as the fall sports schedule gets underway later this month. Today we look ahead at the small school landscape, and the schedules for New London, WACO and Winfield-Mt. Union.

Familiar faces will lead the way in 2017 for a New London team that has been a perrenial power in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference. The Tigers lost just one senior to graduation from last season?s team and the core will be as experienced as they come this season.

The Tigers went 28-10 in 2016 and had another good run in the postseason, taking down Notre Dame and English Valleys. New London fell, 3-0, to Holy Trinity in the regional semifinals.

The Tigers are two years removed from a thrilling five-set loss to the Crusaders in the 2015 regional finals, and the two schools will likely be on a collisioncourse once again this season.

WACO and Winfield-Mt. Union were both led by a solid core of seniors in 2016. The Warriors went 14-15 last season and the Wolves finished 14-18. The teams met in the postseason where W-MU knocked out WACO in four sets.

WACO lost four seniors to graduation last season, including Leading hitter Mayme Hinh, leading setter Halle Kissell and libero McKenna White, who led the Warriors in digs. This means new faces will have to step up for WACO volleyball to have success.

Like their cross-county rivals, W-MU will need to turn to less experienced players in 2017 to step in for graduated seniors. The Wolves lost eight of their 13 varsity players to graduation and all five returners will be seniors this year.

Luckily for W-MU fans, both Lexee Hartsock and Pearl Krieger-Coble will return for their senior year this fall. The two hitters each had over 100 kills in 2016 and Hartsock led the team in blocks.

The Warriors will be first up this year, playing a scrimmage at Sigourney tonight (Monday) and beginning the regular season with their home tournament on Monday, Aug. 21.

Below are schedules for all three small school teams, with home contests listed in bold. Schedules are from the SEISC website and may not be complete.

NEW LONDON

Aug 31 @ Notre Dame

Sept. 5 vs. Van Buren

Sept. 7 @ WACO

Sept. 12 vs. West Burlington

Sept. 14 @ Cardinal

Sept. 21 SEISC Pool Play

Sept. 23 SEISC Finals

Sept. 28 vs. Central Lee

Sept. 30 Home Tournament

Oct. 3 @ Danville

Oct. 5 vs. Holy Trinity

Oct. 7 @ Mt. Pleasant tournament

WACO

Aug. 14 @ Sigourney (scrimmage)

Aug. 21 @ Home Tournament

Aug. 31 vs. Danville

Sept. 2 @ English Valleys triangular

Sept. 5 @ Holy Trinity

Sept. 7 vs. New London

Sept. 12 @ Notre Dame

Sept. 14 vs. Van Buren

Sept. 16 @ North Mahaska tournament

Sept. 21 SEISC Pool Play

Sept. 23 SEISC Finals

Sept. 28 vs. Wapello

Oct. 3 @ West Burlington

Oct. 5 vs. Cardinal

Oct. 7 @ Davis County tournament

Oct. 10 @ Central Lee

WINFIELD-MT. UNION

Aug. 24 @ West Burlington

Aug. 26 @ West Branch tournament

Aug. 31 vs. Highland

Sept. 5 @ Iowa Mennonite

Sept. 7 vs. Lone Tree

Sept. 9 @ Wilton tournament

Sept. 12 @ Louisa-Muscatine

Sept. 14 vs. Mediapolis

Sept. 18 @ Holy Trinity

Sept. 21 SEISC Pool Play

Sept. 23 SEISC Finals

Sept. 28 @ Pekin

Sept. 30 @ New London tournament

Oct. 3 vs. Wapello

Oct. 5 @ Winfield-Mt. Union

Oct. 10 @ Columbus