Team preview: RHS volleyball

    In this Oct. 11, 2022 file photo, Rhinelander’s Emma Chiamulera bumps the ball during a GNC volleyball match against Antigo at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium. Chiamulera returns for the Hodags this season after earning honorable mention in the GNC at libero last fall. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

By the numbers, the Rhinelander High School volleyball team showed improvement last season. They won nine matches, their highest win total since 2017, and were more competitive in more sets last year, averaging 16.2 points per set in the Great Northern Conference, up more than two points from the previous year. 

But there’s one number that coach Dan Wolter and the Hodags are tired of seeing — 57. That’s the number of consecutive matches Rhinelander has lost in the GNC dating back to 2017. It’s a streak that spans three different head coaches and one the Hodags want to put an end to this year.

“That is goal No. 1 for me right now, get out of that conference loss column and getting competitive in our own conference once again,” Wolter said last week as practice began for the season. “It’s been a long time since that’s happened and I think the girls this year are really chomping at the bit. They know it’s kind of hanging on their shoulders like everyone else’s.”

The Hodags will get their first crack at finally getting off the conference canvas next Thursday when they host Antigo at home, but first the team will take on a trio of non-conference opponents in Chetek, Spencer and Hurley to kick off the season today in the Hodag Dome. 

Rhinelander lost only four seniors from last year’s squad, but they all played significant roles. Ava Lamers led the team in a number of categories and was a six-rotation player for Rhinelander. In Maddi Roeser and Morgan Boutelle, the team graduated its top two setters and the team also bid farewell to outside hitter Allie Dornfeld. 

“We’re looking for girls to step up and fill the shoes of the seniors that left and just kind of seeing what we’ve got as far as positional status, where people are most comfortable playing and can have the most success,” Wolter said.

Rhinelander returns a fair amount of experience in the back row with senior libero Emma Chiamulera — the only returning all-conference selection for the team last year. She was fifth in the conference in digs per set (3.3) and had a team-high 298 digs overall on the season. Rhinelander also brings back sophomore defensive specialist Tori Stella.

“Having a returning libero that was all-conference and then Tori coming up being a contributing factor as a freshman, hopefully our serve-receive passing is going to be a little bit stronger this year because of that,” Wolter said.

Setter appears to be the biggest question mark at the start of the season. Senior Ava Krouze saw limited action at the position last year behind Roeser and Boutelle. Wolter said another senior, Maddie Ewan, and junior Lucy Lindner are also in the mix at the position. 

“Filling those two setter roles, there’s opportunities for girls to step in and take control of that position. That’s kind of what we’re looking for, girls that want to step up and take over,” he said. “It’s going to be an open competition for anybody but, right now, those are the three coming back from last year that could fill those roles.”

Up front, the Hodags return a number of players who saw time in the attack. Junior Kelsi Beran had the second-most kills for the team in GNC play (38), followed by senior Lily Treder (18) and junior Macey Schmoeger (15). Treder and Beran also provided some blocking at the net with 16 and 14 total blocks in GNC play, respectively. Seniors Mya Krouze and Lexi Robinson also figure to be in the front row rotation, along with sophomore Libbey Buchmann. 

“I think there’s a lot of talent in that group. We’ll just see who’s going to put to the top,” Wolter said.

Rhinelander begins the season with its normal slate of non-conference matchups. Today’s invite will be held in the Hodag Dome while a resurfacing project on the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium floor wraps up. The team then heads to Wisconsin Dells for a two-day tournament this weekend before opening the GNC at home against Antigo next Thursday. 

The Hodags will have a few more home matches than usual this year. In addition to playing Antigo, Lakeland, Northland Pines and Tomahawk at home in league play, the team has a non-conference home match against Crandon Oct. 12 and will host a second invite Sept. 30. 

As for the conference, Wolter said he expects many of the usual suspects to be near the top again, though there is some question as to if Tomahawk will be able to defend its league title after graduating a class that included GNC player of the year Meghan Scholz. 

Above all else, Wolter said he wants to continue to see the program make gains this season. 

“We had nine wins last year. The year before we had four. I’m hoping we can keep that ball rolling, get into double digits and get us a conference win,” he said. “Hopefully, with a lot of the girls returning that’s something where we can kind of get over the hump this year.” 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].

RHS VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

Date    Opponent/Event    Time

8/22    HODAG QUAD    2 p.m.

8/25    Friendship Tourney at Wis. Dells    TBD

8/26    Friendship Tourney at Wis. Dells    TBD

8/31    ANTIGO*    7 p.m.

9/7    LAKELAND*    7 p.m.

9/9    at Ashland Invite    9 a.m.

9/12    at Mosinee*     7 p.m.

9/16    GNC Meet 1 at Antigo*    10 a.m.

9/19    NORTHLAND PINES*     7 p.m.

9/23    at Phillips Invite    7 p.m.

9/26    at Medford*    7 p.m.

9/30    HODAG INVITE    10 a.m.

10/3    TOMAHAWK*    7 p.m.

10/7    GNC Meet 2 at Tomahawk*    10 a.m.

10/10    at Antigo*    7 p.m.

10/12    CRANDON*    7 p.m.

10/17    WIAA Regionals    TBD

* Conference matches | HOME MATCHES IN CAPS