SODAK 16 IN CROSSHAIRS FOR B-H VOLLEYBALL SQUAD

    Fourth-year Britton-Hecla volleyball coach Jenna Peters thinks her squad has the pieces in place to make a run at a SoDak 16 bid this season for the first time in program history, and the Lady Braves will begin that quest by hosting Leola-Frederick for the season opener on Tuesday.
    The Lady Braves are riding some momentum with back-to-back seasons over the .500 mark.  The local netters also finished strong a year ago, avenging a regular season loss to Redfield in first round play of the Region 1A tournament and taking top-seeded Groton Area to four sets before falling in semifinal play.
    “I was really happy with how we did at the end of last year and would like to see us get out of the region and make it to the SoDak 16,” said Peters.  
    Eight letterwinners return off last year’s 14-13 squad and seven players are back that saw at least some starting duty.  Four seniors who were in the starting lineup a year ago -  Airiana Buer, Daynika Zuehlke, Brynlee Schmieg, and Maddi Micko - provide strong team leadership.  Three juniors in the lineup last season include Jaelee Grupe, Chellon Pruitt, and Kennady Van Lith.  Junior Koryn Jones is also a returning letterwinner.
    Peters admitted she had a concern this year with trying to fill some big shoes left by graduated senior captains Abby Lee, Karlie Zuehlke, and Ava Teveldal, but the Lady Braves alleviated those fears during the summer.
    “I saw a lot of improvement during the summer at a camp and the Matchbox League in Aberdeen,” said Peters.  “The girls really stepped up and we have a lot of really good hitters.  We also have a lot of very versatile players that can play a lot of different roles, and I think my biggest challenge is going to be deciding which players are best in each role.”
    Finding the right combinations will take some time and Peters wasn’t sure of her starting lineup as of Tuesday after just a few practices.  She does play to hand out 13 roster spots prior to the opener with three others available to junior varsity players who prove themselves.
    Depth will definitely be a Britton-Hecla strength this season with Peters expected to go with an eight or nine-player rotation, but two girls will likely sit out this year due to injuries.  Junior Jiana Davidson has been dealing with a knee injury and sophomore Sage Bosse-Faulhaber tore an ACL during the basketball season.
    One of the big things that Peters will be looking for in the opener on Tuesday is who will fit into which roles on the team.
    “I want to see how well the girls can play together and adapt to different situations,” stressed the Lady Braves’ boss.  “We’ll also be hoping to get a better idea of who is going to fill some of the roles after the first few matches.  Keys for us will also be to improve our communication and defense.  All those things are very doable.  We just have to work together.”