The Le Mars Community volleyball team has been making slow and steady steps in the right direction under third-year head coach Jessica Wolles.
The Bulldogs got back to double digit wins proving that it takes time to get a program back on track. That time in the offseason this year has been going into offensive production. Coach Wolles says her girls do not have as much height meaning they will have to work harder to get what they want in attacking the volleyball.
That offense will have plenty of pieces returning. No piece is bigger than the setter position where Aubree Leusink returns following a year in which she finished fourth in the MRAC in assists. Coach Wolles says her plus the returning of three 90+ kill hitters make the Bulldogs a dangerous team.
One big piece Le Mars is tasked with filling is at the libero position. The Bulldogs graduated the program’s career leader in digs in Sarah Brown and now need a new player to step into that role. Coach Wolles says a couple of players have showed good potential in that spot after a lot of experience alongside Brown in the back row.
The kryptonite for the Bulldogs last year came in their ability to finish their matches. No better example of that than their first-round regional game going up 2-0 and having to grind out a five-set thriller to move on in the tournament. Coach Wolles says keeping the energy up in practice should hopefully translate to staying strong on the court in matches.
The Bulldogs open their season today with a tournament in Sheldon that gets started at 4:30 PM.
