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Willmar Cardinals
Joe Brown / West Central Tribune Willmar eighth-grader Ellery DeBoer, 7, and a pair of Worthington players go after a free ball during a Section 2AAA quarterfinal match on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022 at the Big Red Gym at Willmar High School.
Tall task for Cardinals, but they have plenty of talent
BY JOE BROWN | West Central Tribune
WILLMAR — A young Willmar volleyball squad will be tasked with replacing a sizable part of its recent success.
The Cardinals won their fourth straight Central Lakes Conference title in 2022, going 11-0 in conference play and 24-4 overall. And leading the way was 6-foot-4 outside hitter Sydney Schnichels, who was the 2022 Ms. Baden Award winner as Minnesota’s top senior volleyball player.
With Schnichels now at the University of Minnesota, Willmar will have to revamp its attack.
“We will be a young team this year, but we will have a lot of experience,” Leah Brogdon said. She is 46-12 over two seasons as Willmar’s head coach.
“This group of girls really want to get better and are gym rats during the offseason. It should be a fun season.”
Along with Schnichels, the Cardinals will try to offset the losses of Allie Rosendahl and Lauren Dirkes.
This group of girls really want to get better and are gym rats during the offseason. It should be a fun season. — LEAH BROGDON, HEAD COACH
Helping in that effort is returning setter Ellery DeBoer. A 5-10 freshman, DeBoer tallied 737 set assists (9.3 per set), 132 digs, 65 kills, 18 ace serves and 14 blocks. She also competed in the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program’s Indoor Spring Training Series in Washington, D.C. in May.
Along with DeBoer, Willmar brings back another All-CLC performer in outside hitter Gretchen Volk. She is a 5-8 junior.
Brielle Ogdahl is another returning starter. She 5-11 sophomore outside hitter was an All-CLC honorable mention in ‘22.
Beyond the returning players, Brogdon sees a quartet of Cardinals ready to step into bigger roles this season.
On offense, that includes a pair of middle hitters in junior Avery Olson and freshman Nora Mitteness. Olson stands at 5-8 and Mitteness at 5-11.
“(Avery) played as an outside hitter last year on JV and has had some experience from past years in the middle,” Brogdon said. “Her length and quick arm swing will make her hard to defend.”
On Mitteness, Brogdon added: “Nora started towards the end of the season last year for us as an eighth-grader. She has improved her volleyball skills and has gotten a lot faster at running quick sets in the middle.”
Brogdon is also looking for strong play in the back from defensive specialists Lexi Owens and Hannah Magnuson. Owens is a 5-3 senior and Magnuson a 5-5 junior.
“Lexi played libero last year for our JV team and is a scrappy back-row player. She will help us be a strong defensive team,” Brogdon said. “Hannah was a setter for us on the JV team. Her quickness and ability to read the ball well is a huge skill that she has.”
Willmar opens the season against defending Class AAA state champ and top-ranked Marshall on Thursday, Aug. 24 at Marshall.
The CLC schedule begins on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at home against Fergus Falls. Over the past three seasons, the Cardinals are 31-1 in conference play. Two CLC teams — Alexandria (sixth) and Rocori (seventh) — are ranked in the top 10 in Class AAA in the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association’s preseason poll.
