AUGUST 29, 2012 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - SECTION - C - PAGE 13
Dragons steadily improving and should be competitive
by Marty Seeger Leader staff writer SIREN – Siren head coach Caryn Stanford is in her fourth season as head coach of the Dragons volleyball team, and while the process of turning the program around has been a gradual one, she feels the team is heading in the right direction this year. “I think we are moving up in our level of our ability, and I’m excited to see how they fare,” Stanford said. The team lost two Coach Stanford seniors to graduation
Siren volleyball
last year but have the majority of their starters back for their senior season. Those seniors have had a lot of time to play at the varsity level, and they hope to shine this season and use what they’ve learned over the past three years. “We gained a lot of good experience last year, and this year we have some good newcomers coming in and we’re looking pretty good. I think we’ll be just fine,” Stanford said. The Dragons had just one win last season, but it came at just the right time during the first round of playoffs against South Shore. Team strengths include not only senior leadership but the fact that the team is a cohesive group and gets along well. The team has had an interesting start to the season as they’ve been forced to practice in Webster due to the fire at the end of the school year last year. Stanford says they should be back to playing at home once the regular season begins and able to look at their predicament in a positive way.
“Webster’s been very generous,” Stanford said. “In a way, it’s a good team-building thing because you’ve got to rely on each other.”
SIREN DRAGONS VOLLEYBALL ROSTER
Kyaisha Kettula
Brittany Coulter
Elizabeth Brown
Raven Emery
Whitney Yambrick
Jessica Strabel
Eagles look to a fresh start with new coach
by Marty Seeger Leader staff writer BALSAM LAKE – The Eagles found themselves at 5-12 for the season last year and went through their share of ups and downs. With the resignation of former coach Chris Lesneski during the middle of the season, junior varsity coach Jennifer DeLozier took over as an interim coach to lead the team until the end. This year, DeLozier is back again to continue her first-ever head-coaching role and appears to be a Coach DeLozier
SENIORS: Kyaisha Kettula, Raven Emery, Brittany Coulter, Elizabeth Brown, Kristina Weishaupl. JUNIORS: Whitney Yambrick, Jessica Strabel, Jade Taylor, Amber Moore, Mackenzie Smith, Ashlee Arntson, Mackenzie Brown. SOPHOMORES: Hattie Koball, Emily Howe. FRESHMEN: Lizzie Stanford, Aubri Larson, Allie Webster, Emily Stiemann, Laurel Kannenberg, Caitlynn Daniels, Madeline Doty.
COACHES
HEAD COACH: Caryn Stanford. ASSISTANT: Kristin Kosloski.
Amber Moore
Mackenzie Smith
The Dragons volleyball team has a lot of talent back from last season, and many have seen quality varsity experience over the years. – Leader file photo
Emily Howe
Caitlynn Daniels
Lizzie Stanford
Unity volleyball
great fit so far. “When Chris left last year, I kind of finished off the season for him, and you know I just decided to give it a try. It’s a good group of girls and it should be fun,” DeLozier said. As the former JV coach and secretary at Unity, DeLozier is more than familiar with the athletes and knows where this team is capable of going. She also has nearly the entire team back from last seaUNITY EAGLES VOLLEYBALL ROSTER
SENIORS: Sarah Bader, Hailey Olson, Taylor Heathman, Shay Nelson, Shauna Jorgenson. JUNIORS: Carly Ince, Maddie Ramich, Becca Garvey, Emily Gross, Sophie Peterson, Danielle Mares, Kelly Radke, Kennedy Olson, Lily Lenk. SOPHOMORES: Mikayla Allison, Paige Lunsmann, Eryn Mares, Olivia Nelson. FRESHMEN: Allison Gross, Emma Moore, Ali Kreft, Ryhley Mattison, Raelin Sorensen, Whitney Rock, Markell Ramich, Hannah Wagner, Karie Moening, Erika Priebe, Gabriele Foeller, Velincya Andrade.
COACHES
HEAD COACH: Jennifer DeLozier. ASSISTANT: Briana Coombe. MANAGER: Naomi Williamson
son, and many of those girls have been playing varsity roles since their sophomore year. Only one of the starters from last year’s team was lost to graduation. “It’s going to be fun. This is a good core group of girls, so I just hope they can get along and play volleyball. That’s the fun part,” said DeLozier. Along with a great knowledge of the game, DeLozier is a fierce competitor and was a standout athlete at her alma mater in Frederic, where she grew up. “I’m very competitive. More so than most of these girls are,” she said.
Sarah Bader
Shauna Jorgenson
Shay Nelson
Taylor Heathman
Becca Garvey
Emily Gross
Carly Ince
Lily Lenk
Danielle Mares
Kennedy Olson
Unity junior Carly Ince sends the ball over the net during a practice at the start of the season. – Photo by Marty Seeger
Sophie Peterson
Kelly Radke
Maddie Ramich