Friday, August 26, 2011 – theintelligencer.com – FALL SPORTS – Page 15
Knight Volleyball . . . . . . . . . . By MATTHEW KAMP mkamp@edwpub.net
For the second consecutive season the Metro-East Lutheran Knight girls’ volleyball team failed to reach the 10-win plateau but the end result of the 2010 season made it a success. The Knights, despite finishing 9-27, claimed the program’s eighth regional title with a win over (Piasa) Southwestern in the Class 2A Metro-East Lutheran Regional championship game. It was the seventh title under current head coach Jon Giordano, who will be entering his 14th season with the team. He has compiled a 212-214 record in that span. “We came on strong after a slow start with again a difficult schedule. I think they are very excited to get back at it again. We have some things to sort out, like positions and other things,� said Giordano. “After winning the regional championship and then playing fairly well against Breese Central, a team that finished second at state, that gives them a lot to look forward to.� MELHS will look to make a push this year but they will have to do it without three of the main cogs from last season’s squad — Sara Vlasak, Amanda Schoenbaum and Erin Henderson. Vlasak led the team with 28 aces and was second in digs at 285, while Schoenbaum was third with 277 digs. Henderson leaves after leading the Knights with 60 blocks and she was third with 116 kills. The Knights will have a strong cast of players returning, including seniors Molly Scharnhorst and Mackenzie Gottlob. The two players have seen extensive time at the varsity level and last year the duo played pivotal roles for the regional champs. Scharnhorst led the team in digs (373), was second in kills (117) and third in aces (22). Gottlob will run the offense for a third straight year after compiling 517 assists last season. “Having two players that have been heavy contributors on varsity for three years bring a lot of excitement for me,� said Giordano. “They have energy and excitement. They also have a feel for the team and its strengths and weaknesses. They are great young adults and they really bring a professional
atmosphere most days to the team.� Scharnhorst and Gottlob will be leading a young squad into the season. After the two seniors, MELHS returns two juniors and four sophomores with varsity experience. Giordano said the seniors have been very gracious to the underclassmen and first-year players. “They have been very welcoming to the younger kids because when they were freshman they had to break in with a bunch of upperclassmen that were kind to them. Hopefully they follow a similar path,� said Giordano. The sophomore class of Mackenzie Gocal, McKenna Judge, Anna Kellar and Jessica Green are looking to at least duplicate the success they had as freshmen. Judge had 24 aces, 56 kills and 273 digs while Gocal finished with 18 aces and 241 digs. Green (172 kills) and Kellar (93 kills) were focal points at the net. “Having the four — Mackenzie, McKenna, Anna and Jessica — that we had, I never had four freshman at a time that contributed that much at the same time to a season. The last time we had anything close to that was when we had Anna Arthur and Sydney Cooper as freshmen. It was pretty awesome to see them get on-the-job training last year,� said Giordano. Now the question for this season is if the quartet of players can improve on their play and Giordano believes they can because of their commitment level to the sport. “They bring a lot of stability and they have been playing volleyball forever. They came out of a fantastic grade school program at Holy Cross in Collinsville. You could tell when they got here, they were ready to play,� said Giordano. Juniors Lauren Daniels and Johanna Johnson round out the players with varsity experience. They will help give the Knights one of the deeper teams that they have had in a few years and Giordano said the practices have been much more productive with the increased talent. “We go about nine or 10 deep with people we can use in games or practice. One of the things that helped us last year and this year is that we had people that could push us in practice. In past years, we had some stellar players but no one that could challenge.
Matthew Kamp/Intelligencer
Pictured above are senior members of the 2011 Metro-East Lutheran Knight volleyball team. From left to right: Mackenzie Gottlob and Molly Scharnhorst. For instance, who is going to block against Brooke Smith,� chuckled Giordano. “Now we have that.� The Knights will once again take on a demanding schedule with matches against East St. Louis, Collinsville and Columbia,
along with the Quincy Notre Dame and Pumpkin Smash Tournaments. “It is the way we like it and people know that. People that know us know our record is not indicative of how we are doing,� said Giordano.
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