LCC volleyball squad has a lot of experience coming back this season
LAUREL — Could year four of Julie Kvols tenure as the head volleyball coach at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge be the apex of her time to date?
Well it would be quite the accomplishment to do so in the age of a pandemic after the Lady Bears went 17-13 and won a C2 SubDistrict title last fall.
That also included a third-place finish in the Lewis and Clark Conference with now departed MH Makayla Forsberg and OH/S Delaney Ehlers.
Those mere losses alone indicate that Kvols enters a new campaign with plenty of experience on the court including OH Erica Wolfgram who also excels in the back row and who her coach tabs as “just an all-around great volleyball player.”
MB/MH Erica Benson, S Kinsey Hall – who stands at 6-foot-0 and offers a big presence in the front row – libero Jordyn Urwiler and OH Berniece McCorkindale all bring starting experience to the party.
“Erica Benson has a great serve, Kinsey’s tall and that makes her a unique setter in at 6-2 with a strong block and she can move across the floor to get to that second ball really well,” Kvols said. “Jordynn has grown in a defensive roll and passer for our team while Berniece McCorkindale also had a heavy arm for our team last year.”
Wolfgram had 210 kills and 55 aces last year to lead the Lady Bears in both categories while Hall finished with 854 assists and Benson had a team-best 18 blocks.
The offense will also move from a 5-1 to the 6-2 while practicing both attacks.
Benson said the team is happy to be back on the court after wondering all summer if they could even play.
“It’s a great feeling because you never know if it could be cut short,” Benson said. “It was kind of different and it was weird wearing masks in practice and not be able to go to the gym more of the time. It hasn’t been too big of an issue and we are all handling it pretty well as a team. We’re just trying to have as much fun as we can and work hard.”
The team’s talents extend to the point where it has bred a practice culture that lends itself to all out battle daily.
“With a deep bench it has made our practices very competitive fun to be in the gym every day,” Kvols said. “Serving is one of our strengths and has been a focus for us the last couple years.”
Kaylee Donner can bring defensive prowess to the floor and Kvols says Haley Christensen could be a player to watch this fall.
Kvols says Ponca is the team to beat in the conference once again and the two will face off in the season opener on Sept. 1.
“I expect us to compete at that next level in C-2 and see our team run a faster offense,” Kvols said.
Kvols is also pleased by the efforts by the NSAA to keep the calendar moving forward despite the presence of COVID-19.
“It is so good for these kids to get back to as much normal as possible,” Kvols said. “We managed to get in a couple team events this summer and had a great turn out in numbers of girls in the weightroom all summer.”
Benson hopes volleyball can have a state tournament and the Lady Bears have high expectations if there is in fact an opportunity to play for a big trophy.
“We were super close to state last year,” Benson said. “We really want to get to state for volleyball. We haven’t gotten there in a long time. It’s been a while since we had gotten to district finals and it was so huge last year when we got there. We want to get further.
“Our team is working really well together, our passing has been really good and we are connecting with our setters and having a great time having fun out there together.”
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