Fall Preview: Deep Pekin squad poised for another conference run

Talent, size and a smidge of experience is a recipe that has Pekin volleyball coach Jina Heisdorffer amped up for 2009.

?I am very excited about the upcoming season,? she said. ?There is a lot of talent and while some of the team is fairly new to the varsity level, I?m confident in their abilities.?

Outside hitter Erin Mosinski, setter Jessica Deutsch and all-around player Mycaela Crouse enter the season with the most experience as Deutsch prepares to step in as full-time setter ? a position she shared last year with departed senior Alexi Holmes. Mosinski did most of her damage at the net in 2008 with 126 kills and a team-high 58 blocks.

Alex Barnhart, Jaime Sterling and Sam Smith will join the three to make an all-senior starting lineup for Heisdorffer. Sterling adds size at middle hitter, Barnhart will play outside and Smith will fill in the back row. In solid action a season ago, Sterling added 28 kills and seven blocks.

?We graduated a lot of seniors last year, but we have quite a few coming back and that will be very important for us. They need to show the younger ones the way and what varsity volleyball is all about,? said Heisdorffer.

After summer camps, Heisdorffer found out what her team needed to improve on, and their improvement the opening weeks of practice is what has her geared up. In the opening practices, Mosinski has added some velocity to her attacks with Deutsch giving her good sets. Emily Ellis may also see action as a backup setter.

?The girls have worked very hard and things have been running smoothly so far,? Heisdorffer said. ?The girls can feel the excitement and I think they may be as excited as I am. We?ve improved a lot and they are putting everything together. I?m proud of them so far.?

Pekin finished 2008 in a tie for second place in the SEISC north after a late season loss to conference champ Mediapolis, which lost some seniors but will be reloading with young talent from the strong program. Pekin figures to be right in the mix along with Winfield-Mount Union again however, just as they were in 2008.

After three losses at the season opening WACO tournament on Monday, Pekin will look to rebound in at a triangular at Winfield-Mount Union with West Burlington on Sept. 3.