Chargers want to repeat the lightning start from last season | News, Sports, Jobs
The 2024 Westbrook-Walnut Grove volleyball team consists of (front row, left to right) Ambrosa Yang, Olivia Locke, Faith Marsh, Natalie Wahl, Carlie Ross, Sage Bents, Leah VanDeWiele, (back row) Myah Maznio, Riley Parker, Leah Carter, Hadley Jenniges, Sydney Foster, Anna Byers. The team is coached by head coach Meghann Westover and assistant coach Rustan Krentz Jackels.
WESTBROOK – A big leap forward in 2023 gave the Westbrook-Walnut Grove volleyball team a lot of hope for the future. Now the Chargers look to build on that progress in 2024.
Chargers fans had plenty of reason for optimism last season. After a solid 13-11 season the year before, WWG exploded to a 23-5 record and secured 3rd place in Section 3A South before losing to the second-seeded Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda Coyotes in the subsection semifinals in a five-set battle.
“What we experienced last year was the tremendous leadership of our experienced crew,” Said WWG head coach Meghann Westover. “They really wanted to win. They had big goals and would do anything to achieve those goals. The beauty is that this group of girls got to watch them set those goals. So I hope they step into that role and want to win and have fun.”
The top players in question included setter Addeson Jenniges – who had 245 digs and a team-leading 794 assists – and libero Abby Wiggins – who had a team-leading 317 digs. They also said goodbye to Macie Christians and Ella Knakmuhs, who finished with 182 digs and 107 kills, respectively.
Hadley Jenniges will fill in for her older sister as a setter this season. Hadley’s experience last year included only 33 of the team’s 84 passes, but she was effective in her time on the court with 39 kills and seven total blocks.
“I’ve definitely seen a lot of things that (Addeson) has done, so I’m trying to use that to my advantage and just build on how we did last year,” Said Hadley Jenniges.
Westover said Hadley has looked like a very capable setter and hitter so far, and sophomore Myah Maznio also has the potential to gain some experience at the setter position. The two often spend four hours a day in the gym, Westover said. She added that she feels the Chargers remain primed for offensive success with the return of the team’s two best hitters and plenty of experienced leadership.
“I think (the team) just needs to fully commit to the lineup we’re starting with,” Westover said. “Once we’ve made that decision and the team is fully behind it, I think everything will be fine.”
Natalie Wahl returns as one of the key building blocks of the WWG roster. An Independent All-Area Second Team selection last year, Wahl showed her versatility on both the first and second lines. The outside hitter posted 354 kills, the best on the team. Her hitting percentage was .257, the best on the team. She also had 29 blocks. On the second line, she contributed 301 digs and 32 service aces.
The Chargers got off to a strong start last season, winning each of their first 12 games. After two sweeps of HLOF and eventual Red Rock Conference and Class A state champion Russell-Tyler-Ruthton ended the Chargers’ early season winning streak, they quickly returned to form with another five straight wins. They will look to get off to a strong start again this year.
“I think we can only take away from last year the commitment of everyone,” said Wahl. “We all get along well and I think this will definitely help us and grow the team because we have a lot of new girls this year.”
Carlie Ross and Riley Parker also return as efficient front-line players for the Chargers. Ross recorded 254 kills for a 34.1% kill rate, while Parker added another 153 kills for a 37.7% kill rate. Ross also added 123 digs, while Parker’s 37 blocks trailed only Knakmuh’s 41 and placed her ahead of Wahl’s 29.
Parker and Anna Byers are two players that Westover said will also have a big impact on team morale. He described Byers as “Everyone’s Cheerleader” adding that Parker excels at both accepting criticism and finding joy in it all.
“The most important thing is to play as a team, to win as a team and to lose as a team,” Westover said. “We really have to celebrate our highs and learn to rise from our lows. If we make a mistake, we will learn from it and move on.”
As a member of the Red Rock Conference, the Chargers have high-quality competition with RTR and HLOF in the conference and numerous other strong teams in Section 3A. They will also face a strong field of participants at the Jimmy John’s Tournament in Marshall in early October.
The Chargers open their season on August 27th at 7:15 p.m. in Springfield. They will have to wait for their first home game on September 10th, when they host Southwest Minnesota Christian.
“I am very excited about the environment,” Jenniges said about the team’s first home game. “We have great fans and I’m excited to have them all here. And I’m just excited to get back to playing, learning new things with all the new girls and continuing to play with everyone.”
Despite the busy schedule, Westover said the Chargers hope to finish in the top three in their conference despite the losses in the offseason. He cites the fact that they have two of the best hitters in the conference in Wahl and Ross as driving factors. Wahl added that the team’s main focus at the start of the season is to improve chemistry and learn to play as a team with a different group.
“As long as we can develop this setter-bat relationship, I am confident in what our defense can do,” Westover said. “I love watching these girls develop. Even from Monday (August 12), when we started, to today (August 14), girls who didn’t understand anything two days ago, now understand it,” Westover said. “There are simply better connections on the pitch. Once you know where you want to play, it’s easy to develop them.”
