RIB LAKE VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW - No longer young, Rib Lake believes it’s time to win

RIB LAKE VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

Its 13-27 overall record in 2023 didn’t grab much attention, but a late-season surge to a WIAA Division 4 regional final might be the jolt the Rib Lake volleyball team needed to turn that record around.

A team consisting mainly of sophomores then is now full of juniors and four seniors who feel they are now physically and mentally ready to be much more competitive in the Marawood North and beyond.

“I definitely think that we’re all ready to push ourselves and I think we’re ready to go even farther this year,” junior captain Tessa Weik said Friday. “I think we’re definitely ready to build on that success we had last year. It was really an exciting time and I think we’re ready to have that same kind of feeling coming into this year.”

“This is a hard-working group of girls that I’m lucky enough to coach,” fourth-year head coach Heather Weik said. “I think they have one goal in mind. They’re ready to win and have a winning season. We went 13-27 last season and I asked them, ‘so what are we looking for, what do we want out of this season?’ And they said let’s turn that 27 losses into 27 wins. We’ll see what we can do.”

The 2024 journey started at Tuesday’s Loyal Quad, where the Redmen went 2-1. Rib Lake will get a lot of matches in early, adding Saturday’s Marathon Invitational, two quads next week and the Sept. 7 Prentice Invitational in the next 10 days before opening league play at Athens Sept. 10.

Of the 13 players projected to suit up with the varsity squad, seven are returning from last year and the majority of them already have multiple seasons of varsity experience. Thrown to the varsity wolves early in their careers, the Redmen won just nine matches two years ago and the 13 last year.

But with some teams hit hard by graduation in the conference and their growth and experience, the Redmen feel the tide is set to turn.

“We’re like it’s time to win some games,” senior captain Addison Gumz said. “We just have to put in the work and don’t let up.”

Heather Weik said the team prepared hard for the season, facing and beating some good competition during the summer as well as putting in the work in the Bigger, Faster, Stronger program, lifting weights and working on their conditioning and agility.

“It’s the best shape I’ve ever had a group coming into the season before,” she said.

Leading the way are Tessa Weik and junior libero Tahlia Scheithauer, who were All-Marawood North second-team picks last year. Gumz will fill a bigger role this year as a setter and juniors Camryn and Coralee Glenzer, Madilyn Blomberg and Avery Niemi are all back. “I feel like there were a lot of sophomores on the team last year, we even had freshmen the year before,” Gumz said. “They’ve been playing for three years now, and everyone is just a little more comfortable with the pressure and the play of varsity.” Heather Weik said one of the strengths of her team is its versatility and Tessa Weik is the embodiment of that. Highly skilled at setting with 695 career assists, 513 of which came last year, Weik also is one of the team’s top hitters. She had 122 kills last year to rank fourth on the team. “She is going to be right side and outside hitting and also setting in the back row,” Heather Weik said.

“She’s a communicator, and she’s a smart ball player who reads the other team and court well. She’s in the weight room year-round and she is really using her strength for these outside hits.”

Scheithauer, meanwhile, remains the rock of the back row. While she spent much of her summer resting a shoulder injury, she appears ready to go as the new season gets underway. She is at 787 career digs and should hit 1,000 by mid-season.

“In the back row, she’s amazing,” Tessa Weik said. “On a hard hit, all of a sudden Tahlia’s there. I think she’s definitely underappreciated back there, but she does some amazing things.”

Blomberg finished with 135 kills while taking a noticeable step forward last year and her teammates feel she’s in for even bigger things this fall.

“Maddie will play right side and outside,” Heather Weik. “She has developed a nice approach and hits a hard ball. She hits a hard serve. She’s hit the weight room too and I think that’s helped her jump and her strength.”

Camryn Glenzer ranked second on the team in kills last year with 146 and Coralee added 114. Camryn is moving to a middle blocker spot to start the year, while Coralee will likely remain outside or in a rightside position.

Gumz ranked second on the squad with 86 assists and added 11 aces, while Niemi had 85 digs.

“Avery is my most versatile player,” coach Weik said. “I really could stick her anywhere. We really rely on her in the back row. She is a great back row player just because of her communication skills. She is so good at reading everything. She understands the game well. She’ll also play a right side and back row.

“Addie brings positivity, energy and humor to our team,” Weik added. “She is an all-out hustler, she goes the extra mile in the weight room and in drills in practice every day. She’s really become versatile as well and has come a long way as a setter.”

“It’s fun when you set it and your teammate gets an amazing hit off of it,” Gumz said. “It just makes you both feel good.”

Seniors Kiana Dallmann, Lily Butler moves up to the varsity this year. Butler got back-row time in Tuesday’s meet. The team adds a senior, Lily Ulrich, and a junior, Hailey Planasch. The team also expects freshmen Megan Komarek and Madelyn Anderson to see varsity time. Both bring some height at the net. Komarek will provide some immediate help in the middle.

“Megan comes in with experience even though she is a freshman,” coach Weik said. “She’s played club ball. She moves well at the net. She has a fast arm swing and with her height, she can put the ball down.” “(The freshmen) are pushing themselves really well and they’re doing their job,” Tessa Weik said. “It’s going really well. I’m really proud of them.”

In all, there are 27 girls in the program, which will allow for teams at three levels.

One of the key adjustments Rib Lake’s varsity is trying to make this season is staying on the attack even when it gets out of system. The captains said they also want to see the team serve more aggressively.

“We’re really working on attacking out of system,” coach Weik said. “When we’re out of system, we still need to look for the attack instead of tipping it all the time. We want to make sure we attack.”

In the Marawood North, Phillips is the defending champion, while second-place Prentice was a Division 4 state qualifier and Athens and Abbotsford had overall records well over .500. All of those teams had some significant losses and Rib Lake lost two honorable mention picks in Josie Scheithauer and Jennie Pichea.

In the first year of five-division postseason play in the WIAA, Rib Lake wound up staying in Division 4 as its smallest program. Its half of the sectional bracket includes teams like Abbotsford, Edgar, Chequamegon, Phillips, Hurley, Wabeno-Laona and Crandon.

“Making it to regional finals last year was a big accomplishment for us,” Heather Weik said. “We were still pretty young. We’d like to go at least there if not further. We stayed in Division 4 by one person. We’re up for that challenge.”

“We’re really excited to see what the season has in store for us,” Tessa Weik said. “There will be some good competition, but I think we’ll put in the work and we’ll see what