WOODWARD — The volleyball team at Woodward-Granger has been the terror of the West Central Conference in recent years, as the Hawks have won three of the last four WCC crowns with a combined overall mark of 105-35 and a league record of 32-2 over that stretch.
“We are proud of those numbers and what we have done,” veteran head coach Meg Jackson said. “We can be proud of what we have built here, but if we want that tradition to continue we are really going to have to step it up this year.”
Jackson has been at the helm for 14 years, with Kate Hargrafen at her side for the last 13. W-G is 230-124 (.650) during Jackson’s run, but the coach knows her team is always going to have a target on their backs.
“I really believe that we are the one team all the others most want to beat,” she said. “They are going to look at us this year and see that we have lost four starters and another girl who played quite a bit and I think they will come after us with more confidence. We need to be ready to handle that.”
The Hawks went to the state tourney and finished 20-6 in 2011, with largely the same cast of players returning for a 30-4 campaign in 201, when W-G was elevated to Class 2A, where they remain. An entirely new slate of netters finished 24-16 in 2013, but used the experience they earned to post a 31-9 mark last year and Jackson said she expects the cycle to continue.
“It would be very unfair to ask this year’s team to go out and win 31 matches,” she said. “They could, but that is a very high mark for a team with just two starters coming back. That said, if we come together and play the way I think we can, competing for a conference title and a good number of wins is not out of the question.”
Juniors Mary Hansen and Bree Lesch return after posting 234 and 136 kills, respectively, with classmate Olivia McCune back after tallying 154 kills and 41 blocks. Hansen had 339 assists, 113 digs and 30 blocks, with Lesch providing 329 digs.
“We were very scrappy on defense last year and I expect that to continue,” Jackson said. “There are any number of girls who move well and our not afraid to get on the floor, and when you are playing good defense it can be a real spark.”
Lesch and Hansen are the only returning players with any depth of experience serving, with the former 406-of-443 (.916) with 75 aces while the latter was 310-377-87 behind the line.
“We don’t have veteran servers, but we have some good ones,” Jackson said. “We don’t have the one girl who is likely to just shut you down, but I like what our depth could end up looking like.”
McCune will start at middle hitter, with Hansen and Lesch on the outsides. Mikayla Saak, the lone senior on the squad, will see time on the floor, with Kara Bodensteiner the likely choice at libero while Kaycee Major, Alyssa Bice, Riley Kirton and Pagie Mescher battle for playing time.
“One thing we have this year is height,” Jackson said. “This is probably the tallest we have ever been. We could put 6-1, 5-11, 5-11 and 5-10 on the floor if we wanted.
“Right now I am looking for Julie Pitman, Ashley Gales or Anna Nelson to step up and claim a role,” she added. “We have to have at least one of those three develop into a reliable player for us, and if all three do I will be thrilled to death.”
Jackson said the infusion of size should make her Hawks “a force at the net” but only if the team can quickly come together.
“We will need some players to step into roles they are not used to,” she explained. “Last year they could just watch the girls in front of them do it, but now it is their turn. Some of these girls will be needed to take some more of the load on their shoulders. If they do, we will have a good year.”
