|
Fryauf, Nopoulos make RVC all-conference
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · November 16, 2017
Two West Branch volleyball players earned positions on the River Valley Conference All-Conference teams for the 2017 season.
The team gathered Monday night to reflect on its season and recognize contributions to the team, which finished the season with a 10-23 record and an appearance in the regional quarterfinals.
Head Coach John Walsh said teams can measure a season based on wins and losses, but the Bears measured “a heck of a lot more success in other ways.”
“Coaching a team of great people is the biggest blessing a coach could have,” he said. “And not just because this is my daughter’s (outside hitter McKenna) senior class.”
He did not give details, but told about how one practice in particular helped bring the team together “as friends.”
“We got to see how much they care for each other,” he said.
That led to a new pregame ritual, where the team huddles in a circle to inspire each other and play “Together!”
“It made us better,” he said.
Walsh thanked the parents, school staff, coaches and players for supporting the team.
“To the players ... thank you,” he said. “I don’t need to win this tournament, or beat this team to put a feather in my cap. I love you all and you did a great job this season. Go Bears!”
Walsh, freshman-sophomore coach Katie Mathis and junior varsity coach Mark Begey took turns talking about each player on their team.
Walsh drew attention to the two players — Abbey Fryauf and Sophie Nopoulos — who earned spots on the RVC All-Conference lists.
RVC coaches placed junior middle hitter/outside hitter Abbey Fryauf on its South Divisional Team and senior setter/outside hitter Sophie Nopoulos among its honorable mentions.
Fryauf finished the season with 289 kills, 171-206 serving and 20 aces.
The coach said Fryauf provided the most consistent play that led the team. He talked about how she led with kills and hitting efficiency and became one of the team’s primary passers.
“Abbey accepted that responsibility,” Walsh said.
Nopoulos had 294 assists, 157 digs and 14 blocks.
Walsh called her one of the most composed players on the team.
“This is especially important for a setter and team leader and captain,” he said. “She played a high level of club ball, too, and that composure goes a long way for a team.”
The head coach also presented three team awards:
• Most Valable Passer went to junior libero Courtney Jarrett. He said she led the team in digs and passing average and had the highest score for serve-receiving for the team.
Walsh said he appreciated her “court sense,” or “volleyball IQ,” and how she transitioned well from defensive specialist.
• Most Valuable Server went to junior setter Riley Vaughan. Walsh said the team, as a whole, struggled with serving, yet Vaughan served aggressively and led the team with 35 aces. “And we needed it and she was the best one we had,” he said.
• Most Improved Player went to sophomore middle hitter/right hitter Mackenzie Heise. He said he expected the 2016 fresh-soph player to move up to junior varsity this season, until he saw her at practice. “She jumped a whole level of experience,” he said. “That was refreshing to see. ... she was a great competitor for us.”
He said he appreciated the “smoldering fire” she brought to the court and how that competitiveness set an example for the team.
Walsh tried to come up with a single word for each of the varsity players to capture something important or characteristic of them.
For sophomore outside hitter/middle hitter Kaiya Luneckas, he chose “forward-thinking.”
He said the two-year varsity player could put a bad play behind her and focus on the next point so well that she “encompassed that idea.”
For senior defensive specialist Allyson Kroemer, Walsh used the word, “relentless.”
Noting Kroemer had been playing volleyball with McKenna for years, he said even then “she had some kind of an engine to get every ball.”
“And she would not stop until she gets to that ball,” he said. “That’s a trait really good teams have — relentless ball pursuit.”
Gesturing to senior right hitter/outside hitter Madison Luneckas, Walsh called her “determined.”
He gave an example of how she missed practice, then returned for the next one and stayed after to practice.
“The next thing we know there are 60 balls around the gym and its 45 minutes later,” he said. “She would get reps in and get better.
For senior defensive specialist Allison Maher, Walsh chose the word “enthusiasm,” which he joked was better than his first choice, “rally-er.”
“The energy she brings to the gym is incredible, every day,” he said. “She’s the most vocal on the court and is constantly lifting up her teammates.”
Moving on to senior middle hitter/right hitter Drew Perkins, he used the word “unflappable.”
“You don’t let things get to you. You do what you need to do,” he said, and does not dwell on mistakes.
The coach chose the word, “aggression,” to describe senior defensive specialist Katie Robertson.
He explained that when the Bears have already hit the ball twice, that third hit not only must go over the net, it must not be a “free ball” for the opposition.
“We want swings on every possession,” he said. “Katie did that every time.”
Regarding his daughter, senior outside hitter McKenna Walsh, the head coach called her a “learner-communicator.”
He remembers her as an eighth-grader struggling to get serves over the net. McKenna progressed past the fundamentals to asking questions and making comments during practices and time-outs “with the purpose to share knowledge with the team.”
“I was not like that when I was that age,” the coach said. “She didn’t get that from me. I was a wallflower.”
Coach Walsh had two terms for senior right hitter Hannah Westcott, “sunshine and ice water.”
He joked that Westcott “has had a smile on her face for 18 years.”
“Her positivity is infectious,” Walsh said. “She makes practice more enjoyable.”
As to the “ice water” part, he said she excelled at serving even when coming in cold off the bench.
“You don’t get rattled,” he said.
Varsity stats
Serving/kills stats: Abbey Fryauf 289 kills, 171-206 serving, 20 aces; Kaiya Luneckas 173 kills, 170-226 serving, 28 aces; Sophie Nopoulos 96 kills, 224-255 serving, 25 aces; Mackenzie Heise 68 kills; McKenna Walsh 65 kills, 138-191 serving, 33 aces; Drew Perkins 20 kills 5-5 serving; Maddi Luneckas 15 kills, 0-1 serving; Riley Vaughan 6 kills, 303-318 serving, 35 aces; Coutney Jarrett 3 kills 184-200 serving, 12 aces; Allyson Kroemer 36-43 serving, 1 ace; Allison Maher 4-5 serving; Hannah Westcott 49-57 serving
Assists/digs/blocks stats: Riley Vaughan 325 assists, 125 digs, 1 block; Sophie Nopoulos 294 assists, 157 digs, 14 blocks; Courtney Jarrett 32 assists, 264 digs; Kaiya Luneckas 5 assists, 144 digs, 52 blocks; Abbey Fryauf 3 assists, 183 digs, 45 blocks; Drew Perkins 1 assist, 15 digs, 17 blocks; Mackenzie Heise 1 assist, 24 digs, 37 blocks; McKenna Walsh 24 digs, 10 blocks; Allyson Kroemer 12 digs; Maddi Luneckas 5 digs 5 blocks; Allison Maher 1 dig; Katie Robertson 1 dig; Hannah Westcott 6 digs
FS and JV
Mathis called the fresh-soph players “all athletic and talented.”
“And they were insanely coachable and personable,” she said. “As a first-year coach, I learned a lot and I grew a lot.”
She said the team finished 8-1 in the conference and “we’re gunning for Regina.”
Begey said the JV players “worked hard every day” and had many good practices.
He challenged the players to practice in the off-season.
“I love to win and be successful,” he said. “But that’s not what it’s all about ... we need to get better individually and as a team.”
The JV team finished with a 1-13 record, beating North Scott.
JV statistical leaders:
Digs: Lexi Peake 107, Mattie Hills 79, Nicki Henson 62, Jaclyn Bloem 53, Katie Robertson 30
Kills: Mattie Hills 49, Lexi Peake 39, Autumn Kolpin 26, Jaclyn Bloem 23, Allie Maher 9
Assists: Nicki Henson 121, Lauren Nalan 8, Ally Kroemer 4, and Lexi Peake 3. Two each went to Jaclyn Bloem, Mattie Hills and Katie Robertson
Aces: Lexi Peake 20, Ally Kroemer 10, Allie Maher 8, Hannah Westcott 8, Jaclyn Bloem 7
Blocks: Autumn Kolpin 6, Mattie Hills 5, Jaclyn Bloem 4, Nicki Henson 3, Ally Kroemer 1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
