The Dike-New Hartford volleyball team is looking to make up significantly more ground this year compared to the last three preseasons. The Wolverines graduated over 93 percent of last year’s offensive production, including the loss of three Division I volleyball talents.
Head Coach Diane Harms says a multitude of options are available when it comes to the power hitters.
“Over the course of the summer and preseason, we’ve been looking at a lot of different combinations,” Harms says. “We actually were running a 6-2 at one point in time and we switched to the 5-2, just taking lots and lots of looks. So Izzy Norton is looking really good this summer. Madde Buskohl, who will be seniors this year, they’re doing a good job of staying aggressive. They’re on the pins. Haley Badker has gotten time at the pin. Aubrey Asche, an incoming freshman, has gotten some time for us at a pin, and they’ve probably gotten the most time so far. We have a lot of people that we’re looking at right now as far as our outside pins go, and we’ve got to narrow it down to who’s going to be make our main three and then who will be our top reserves.”
Junior Addy Joslin and senior Lucy Varney are back as the setters after starting all of last season. Harms says they’re the foundation to build upon.
“Having them back is very helpful because we return one hitter in Shannon Moorman, and our two setters, and that’s all that we’re returning right now to start the season with. So having them there, having went through and set and them having gone through the season, I think helps with our hitters. Just that they’re able to share what they learned last year in the role, being on the floor and then coming back with that leadership this year has been big for us with the setting.”
The Wolverines will begin the season Tuesday, August 27 at a quad at Ankeny.
