Prep volleyball around the corner

The prep volleyball season is less than a week away. All four Grand Island schools are now making their final preparations for their opening matches.

The Islanders, coming off a 31-3 season that saw them advance all the way to the Class A championship match before falling to power house Bellevue West. Coach Bill Root won't have the same power up front with the loss of Ann Armes, Jeri Walkowiak and Kelsey Werner, but he says he thinks he will have a faster team that can dig a lot of balls.

GINW has qualified for six straight Class B state tournaments and is looking to make it seven in a row. The Vikings suffered significant losses to graduation with seven seniors leaving the program, but there shouldn't be a big drop off this year. Senior Brittany Asche is a dynamic player despite being just 5-7. Junior Jenna Rouzee will play setter in the back and middle in the front. Why not? She's 6-1 now.

Central Catholic moved back to Class C-2 this year and should be able to make a run at another state title. The Crusaders have Tali Fredrickson, one of the top players in the area and state, back to anchor both the offense and defense. They also have what coach Sharon Zavala says is her most talented freshman class in her 30-plus years of coaching.

Heartland Lutheran won eight matches last year and would like to improve upon that if possible. The Red Hornets have a new head coach in Jamie Burmeister. The big news for Heartland Lutheran is that Ezarah Williams returns after a long battle with a knee injury and appears to be ready to go. Williams, if healthy, could be a dynamic type of player at the Class D-1 level.