With the return of seven letterwinners, expectations are high this season for the Oconto Falls High School volleyball team.
The players have adopted the motto, “One team, one dream.”
“I think I know what that dream is, but yet we’re not going to discuss that too soon,” Panthers coach Dawn Larsen said.
That dream could be a trip to the state tournament. The Panthers fell a couple of steps short last season, finishing 25-9 and losing to Notre Dame in a WIAA regional final.
The Oconto Falls players are confident and feeling improved from where they left off last year.
“They can feel it on the court and sometimes as the coach you can see it,” Larsen said.
Oconto Falls opened the season by going 4-1 in the Battle of the Valley at Neenah on Aug. 27. The Panthers were a perfect 3-0 in pool play and then lost 2-1 to Xavier before winning the third-place match 2-1 over Kimberly.
Larsen took away plenty of positives from the tourney, including taking down two Division 1 schools, Kimberly and Appleton North.
“Don’t get me wrong, we are not where we need to be,” Larsen said. “We need to consistently get better because you don’t want to peak too soon.”
The Panthers won the tough Bay Conference in 2012, going 8-0 and becoming the first team to finish undefeated in the Bay since Oconto Falls has been a member.
Repeating as conference champs won’t be easy. West De Pere and Shawano finished tied for second last year at 6-2. Shawano has to replace a lot of seniors, Larsen said. Luxemburg-Casco, which lost Marissa Kline, and Seymour tied for fourth at 5-3.
“When you play in the Bay, you’ve got to go in every match thinking that everybody’s tough,” Larsen said. “You can’t take anybody lightly, you just can’t.”
The Panthers lost Sarah Reis and Jessica Bolognia to graduation and return six regular contributors from last season.
“We have a good, good nucleus there,” Larsen said.
McKenna Larsen enters her senior season after leading the Panthers in every major category a year ago.
“McKenna’s going to set when she’s in the back row and then when she gets in the front row she’s going to hit from the outside,” coach Larsen said.
McKenna Larsen has grown on the court over the last year, her mother/coach said.
“Playing club volleyball down in the Appleton area really has matured her as a player,” coach Larsen said. “She’ll be our go-to.”
Fellow senior Carly Lemke, who is a 6-foot middle blocker, was second on the team in kills last year.
Kayla Virtues, a junior middle blocker, earned some playing time in 2012, but hit the weight room hard over the summer.
“We’re really hoping she can come around and take the pressure off McKenna and Carly,” Larsen said. “Last year, we just kind of had McKenna and Carly and I really believe we have other people around them that are going to surprise.”
Senior Liz Watzka will be valuable as a setter.
“I’m really pleased with her placement because she is setting to McKenna,” Larsen said. “McKenna will be setting to Carly.”
Two sophomores, Brooke LaCount and Alyssa Nelson, played junior varsity last season, but have been huge contributors early in the year.
“I didn’t know what these sophomores were going to do and seeing what they did against those better teams, they really impressed us,” Larsen said.
Defensively, in the back row, McKayla Johnson, who started at libero last season, is back, as is Liz Manns. Senior Racheal Winter will be a utility player.
The Oconto Falls players have been working on communicating more effectively on the court and bonding sessions are helping the Panthers gel as a team.
Larsen is excited about the possibilities.
“Carly and McKenna are going to be tough to stop if we can get the pass there — that will be the key,” Larsen said. “Defensively, I think our blocking and our defense is going to be much better than it was last year.”
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