Marshfield volleyball led by senior-heavy team

MARSHFIELD – If the Marshfield High School volleyball team was ever going to end its two-decade drought at the WIAA State Tournament, now just might be the most-likely time to do it.

“We are in a really tough Sectional,” said Head Coach Josh Knecht, in a recent interview with Hub City Times. “Obviously, State is always something a team will think about, but for us it first starts off with the Wisconsin Valley Conference. We just want to be really competitive in the conference [and] hopefully get to the point that we’re competing for a conference championship toward the end of the season. That’s our first primary goal. I do feel we have the type of team that can make a really good run toward State.”

This season’s Tigers’ varsity roster features eight seniors and four underclassmen.

“They’re not only competitive and extremely athletic, but they’re also really good people,” “I’ve really enjoyed working with them. All twelve of them respect each other’s roles and what that is for the team and that’s really exciting to see that selflessness that these really athletic girls give to each other.”

The Tigers return six players from last year’s squad.

“All six are very talented players,” said Knecht, now in his third year as Marshfield’s head volleyball coach. “And we added a new influx of some young girls that are also very good. A lot of these girls have club experience at the national level. So, yeah, we have the pieces in place that I think if we can just keep pushing, keep having them grow, we’re going to be a very tough knockout. That’s what I see.”

One of the new additions – and lone sophomore – is State champion gymnast, Jazzy Kurth.

“She’s competing to earn the libero’s position,” Knecht told us. “Phenomenal athlete. She’s short in stature, but she’s amazingly quick and reads the ball so well. She brings a really high energy to our team. Very competitive and is someone that can really make our defense pretty elite.”

Junior Angela Barnhardt will also play libero and get some playing time as a left outside hitter.

At 5’8”, junior Natalie DeLany will be one of Marshfield’s main setters.

“She set for us last year,” said Knecht. “She’s a very athletic setter. Pretty good defensively and makes some really nice plays along the net when the ball’s not passed quite as well as we’d like it to be. And she’s working on possibly trying to be a six-rotation player where she might play some right side for us and hit.”

Another lengthy junior is 5’9” NoraLee Pohl.

“She is probably one of… her ability to strike the ball with precision. She’s able to see the court so well,” Knecht told us. “She’s also probably one of our top servers.”

Knecht’s defense features 5’9” senior, Kendra Charron.

“I’m hoping that she’ll be able to provide a really solid block on the right side against the other teams’ better hitters. And she does a really nice job of putting in some really good hard hits.”

“She has to be our hammer,” Coach Knecht said of senior Kendra Charron, a 5’9” left outside hitter. “She’s someone that needs to kill the ball in crucial times. And she always wants the ball. She really has improved a lot on her defensive side and serve reception. She’s someone that could also potentially earn the right to play all the way around. She can also hit the ball really well out of the back row.”

Senior Madilynn Cole, who will play softball for UW-Eau Claire next year, is another key contributor for Knecht this season.

“She’s a very good athlete. She brings a grittiness, a toughness to our team and she’s just a really nice kid – someone that’s always asking for more, and really helps us be really competitive in our practices.”

The Tigers return 5’6” setter, senior Paige Schlagenhaft.

“She is a really strong leader [and] is very selfless,” Knecht shared. “She is someone that just runs the offense really well, communicates really well, and just knows the girls inside and out. She’s been with the seniors a long time, so she kind of knows where to put the ball for them.”

Lily Adler, a 5’10” senior, is back as a middle hitter this season.

“Got some good experience last year,” Knecht said. “Really played well this summer.

“I’m really looking forward to both my middles, both her and Oriah Harris, to give us a really strong middle presence,” he continued. “They’re both very athletic. I’m going to miss them after this year because they’re going to provide us a lot of great blocking, but also some firepower in the middle. That hopefully will then open up the outside hitters more because they have to make sure that the middles are blocked up.”

Harris transferred from Auburndale last year and so she could not compete for the Tigers immediately.

“She has got one of the best vertical jumps on our team and is able to compete against girls that are taller just because of her overall athletic ability,” Knecht said of Harris.

Senior Ava Heeg is a new addition to the varsity roster this season.

“She has played so many positions for us in our program, from setter to right side to defensive specialist,” said Knecht. “She’s kind of a jack of all trades. And she has maximized her ability with putting in the strong work in the weight room and it’s really made us really competitive.

“I love the chemistry of this group,” Knecht continued. “I think that ability to appreciate each other and respect each other is probably one of our biggest strengths.

“Along with that, our best strength right now is probably our servers,” he added. “We can really put teams on the defensive immediately with our first contact. That also, I think, will make our serve reception better because every night in practice we get to go against some really elite servers. And that helps us out in the offensive game because then teams have got to hit the ball from off the net or positions that they’re not comfortable with.”

Knecht’s coaching staff for this season includes varsity assistant, Kendra Kaiser.

Julia Hojnacki serves as the JV coach, while Amy DeLany is the Tigers’ JV2 coach and Alyssa Zielinski coaches the JV3 squad.

Marshfield has 44 players in its volleyball program this season.