VOLLEYBALL: Cass County season preview

Aug. 11—The Pioneer volleyball team is loading up for a potential special season.

The Panthers return a senior-led group that is coming off a 26-8 season and an HNAC championship. They look to be state contenders in Class 2A this year.

"We've got seven seniors. We've got a lot of seniors, a lot of senior leadership, a lot of girls that have got a lot of experience playing at the varsity level," Pioneer coach Rod Nies said. "A couple of the girls played on the state championship team in '20. I like where we're at. We've got a lot of senior leadership that I think is going to really carry us far or at least I hope it does. We've got a lot of athleticism, kids that can play multiple positions and I like players that are versatile. I just think it makes a big difference when you have players that can play multiple positions. In the big games when things get really tight those kids can seem to make plays."

The season gets underway Saturday at the Cass County Tournament at Caston. Pioneer opens against Logansport at 5 p.m., followed by Caston versus Lewis Cass. The consolation match is at approximately 7, followed by the championship match.

The Panthers have some injury issues going into the season. Nies said that standout middle hitter Brooklyn Borges is at about 70-80% after she suffered a torn ACL at last year's county girls basketball tournament.

Another injury concern is Liz Rance was in an automobile accident in which she broke her nose and had a concussion. She was just cleared to practice Monday, so she won't be eligible to play on Saturday.

Borges and Rance are part of a senior class that also includes last year's Loganland Co-Player of the Year Mackenzie Rogers, a setter who shared the honor with outside hitter Mandee Weisenburger, who is now playing at NAIA Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Rogers has committed to play at NAIA Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California.

"We're going to lean heavy on Mackenzie Rogers," Nies said. "When she steps on the floor she's probably going to be one of the best athletes on the floor. There's probably not too many teams that we're going to see this year that there's going to be a better athlete than her. We're looking for big things out of her. She's a great setter, she's going to be playing at the next level. She's got great hands, she's 6-foot, really long, lanky arms, puts up a huge block. I'm going to run her as a hitter as well."

Addie Cripe returns for her senior season as an All-Loganland libero. Other seniors in the mix include middle hitter Kylie Attinger, setter Blair Grigsby and defensive specialist Emma Sells. Borges and Rans are middle/outside hitters.

"I'm going to run a three-middle attack this year," Nies said. "We did that back in 2020 when we won state and we ran it in 2018 as well when we made it down to state. I like the offense. It gives us a lot of versatility."

Juniors in the mix include setter Keirsten Nies and defensive specialist Kamryn Newby. Sophomores who could see varsity time include Ava Beasy, Mackenzie Houser and Aspen Moolenaar and freshman Lois Layer is also in the mix with the varsity.

Nies expects Borges will get better as the season goes along as she recovers from her knee injury. She has committed to play at NAIA Ohio Christian University where she will team up with former Pioneer teammate Madison Blickenstaff as they helped the Panthers win a state championship in 2020.

Pioneer opens the season against the Logansport Berries, who have a new coach this year, Cortney Long, who is Nies' stepdaughter.

"My daughter Cortney is going to do a good job," Nies said. "I was really hoping that Haleigh would have panned out there at Logansport but I think Cortney will do a great job. She's got a really good coaching staff and I've talked to her a little bit here and there and she seems to be very pleased with how the team is progressing. When we play one another Saturday night we definitely both want to win but in the long run it's just nice to be able to look on the other end of the bench to the other team and see one of your players or a family member sitting there coaching and teaching these young kids how to play the game of volleyball."

LOGANSPORT

Long inherits a Logansport team that is coming off a 3-30 season. She expects the team to take a step forward in her first campaign.

The Berries' roster includes four seniors, including Corryn Overway (DS/OH), Lanee Huff (MH), Syd Rance (S) and Lacey Sutton (RH), juniors Maddy Anderson (RH), Gracee Baer (DS), Ashlyn Brumett (RS) and Emilia Rozzi (OH) and sophomores Adrienne Scott (S), Teagan Wolf (OH), Aracyn Good (OH) and Mayla Williams (DS).

"I wouldn't say that they're inexperienced. They most definitely have a ton of talent," Long said. "I think it's just putting together all the pieces and letting them just showcase their talent. Those poor girls have had different coaches throughout their whole high school career. I know it's taken a lot of work from us coaches and summertime with all the prep work to one, gain our trust, and to have them buy-in to our coaching style. I think we've got them doing that which is awesome. As far as inexperienced, I wouldn't say that. We have some girls that can play some damn good volleyball and I think that's showing.

"We had our scrimmage against Caston earlier this week and got lots of compliments from lots of people and even the girls, it was really nice to hear them say it felt really good. A lot of them said we haven't felt that good in a long time playing. They played as a team. Most importantly they looked good. They looked like they knew how to play the game of volleyball."

Long was a standout setter at Pioneer and IUK in her playing days and is now director of sales and admissions at WoodBridge Health Campus.

CASTON

Caston brings a lot back from last year's team that had the best season in program history in going 25-8.

The stopper in conference play for the Comets was Pioneer and the stopper in sectional play was Southwood.

"Our goal is to continue to build off of last season's success and be playing our best volleyball by tournament time," Caston coach Gina Hierlmeier said. "We have a seasoned roster of six seniors that have spent significant time on the court as varsity volleyball players. Our hope is to grow younger players with less experience into roles we need filled for the season."

The Comets return senior middle/outside hitter Isabel Scales, who was an All-Loganland selection a year ago after she led them in kills and was second in digs.

Alexa Finke will also play in the middle for the Comets. The outside hitters this year are Macee Hinderlider and Addison Zimpleman. The setters are Annie Harsh and junior Makena Middleton. The libero is senior Haley Logan. Juniors Karlee Sommers and Shaylei Yadon, sophomore Kylee Logan and freshmen Madi Douglass and Natalie Warner are also in the mix for varsity time.

CASS

Cass is looking to improve on its 5-22 season of a year ago.

"We have a pretty good group of girls returning," Cass coach Katie Cowell said. "This year we're going to be heavy with four seniors out of our nine players on varsity. So I think this year will be good for us."

Maci Garland returns her senior season as the Kings' leader in kills. She and senior Haley Miller are the outside hitters. Senior Abbey Hileman returns at middle hitter and senior Nia Maroney is a defensive specialist.

Junior Maryn Zeck returns at setter. Marta Specchi, a foreign exchange student from Italy, will also be a setter as the Kings will run a 6-2 offense.

Sophomore Ava Hubner is a pin hitter. Sophomore Emma Hildebrand is a defensive specialist. Freshman Brooklynn Kraner is a middle hitter.

"I think both of our outsides between Maci and Haley Miller will be pretty solid for us," Cowell said. "Abbey Hileman, she has just come back this summer, I don't know if it's because it's her senior year or what, but she has just been blocking everything and going up and just smashing the ball.

"I'm pretty excited to see how it translates. Even our practices are just at another level. The energy and grit and hustle that these girls have is standing out from past years, so I'm really excited."

The Kings are looking forward to competing in the Three Rivers Conference this season.

"I think that the change in conference is going to be good for us," Cowell said. "I think on a good year we'll have the ability to finish in the top half of the conference rather than ninth out of 10. So that's pretty exciting. I think with just having so much senior leadership on our varsity team it's going to be a good year."