Team Preview: RHS volleyball

It has been a minute since the Rhinelander High School volleyball team has been competitive in the Great Northern Conference. 

The last time the Hodags finished in the top half of the conference was in 2013, when they tied for third, and Rhinelander went nearly six calendar years without a GNC victory. The skid was finally snapped last September against Northland Pines. 

It may take some time, but new head coach Jayme Wyss said she’s hopeful the Hodags can turn things around.

“I hope to look like an entirely different team by the end of the season and surprise a lot of people,” she said. 

Rhinelander showed some signs of progress under former head coach Dan Wolter. The Hodags improved their win total in each of his three seasons, culminating with a 13-win season last year and the end of the team’s 62-match GNC losing streak.

For the Hodags to take another step forward this season, they will need to do so with a mix of veterans and newcomers to the roster. 

Rhinelander graduated seven seniors, including both of their all-Great Northern Conference selections from a year ago in outside hitter Lily Treder and libero Emma Chiamulera. The team also lost some depth up front graduating Lexi Robinson and Mya Krouze and depth at setter with the departure of Ava Krouze and Maddie Ewan.

    Rhinelander’s Libbey Buchmann goes up for an attack during a volleyball scrimmage against Prentice at Northland Pines High School in Eagle River Saturday, Aug. 24. Buchmann, a junior was third on the team in attacking last season. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

The Hodags have some returning offense in senior Kelsi Beran and junior Libbey Buchmann. Beran led the team in conference play with 69 kills last year. She also had the most attacks on the team (243) and finished with a .111 attacking percentage. Wyss said she’s hopeful that Buchmann can take a big step forward this year after finishing third on the team in kills (43) last year in GNC play.

“She puts in a lot of offseason (time) playing on a high-level team and the way she sees the game is at a higher level,” she said. “(Kelsi’s) very athletic with a big block and strong swing. I anticipate her and Libbey will be our kill leaders.”

Senior Lucy Lindner also returns. She will handle a good portion of the setting duties after leading the team with 156 assists last year, though Wyss noted that both Lindner and Buchmann could be called upon to set at times in a 6-2 formation.

Senior Macey Schmoeger returns after logging 12 kills last year and the team gets senior Callie Hoerchler back in the mix. She had 16 kills in league play before sustaining a season-ending knee injury last October. Wyss noted Schmoeger, as a right side, has a “big block and has a good swing when she clicks with the setter,” while praising Hoechler’s experience, athleticism and leadership as an outside hitter. 

Junior Tori Stella returns and will look to fill Chiamulera’s shoes as libero. Stella had 77 digs — third best on the team — playing alongside Chiamulera in the back row last year. 

“(She has) two years of varsity experience and eagerness to take her game to the next level,” Wyss noted.

Beyond those six there will be a lot of new faces to the varsity rotation this year. Wyss said sophomore Reese Retallick has shown flashes early on as a defensive specialist but that a number of underclassmen may be vying for time in the rotation. 

Going into the season, Wyss said she believes the scrappiness of her team will be a strength but that the team will need to improve its blocking. The Hodags were last in the GNC on the block a year ago with only 19 block solos and 28 block assists.

Rhinelander got its first look at the team in action Saturday during a scrimmage at Northland Pines.

“We hung in there against Mercer, Prentice, and Phillips, which all have good programs,” Wyss said. “We have a lot of work to do but it was a decent place to start. We are trying to learn and adapt quickly and these girls have the desire to take things to the next level.” 

The Hodags open the season today but, in a late schedule change, it will not be at home. Rhinelander could not find a fourth team for its home varsity quad, so the event was officially canceled late last week. Instead, the Hodag varsity will head to Stevens Point for a multi-team invite today. 

“Tuesday will be against big, tough teams and it will teach us a lot. Our goals include recovering and learning from failure, encouraging and uplifting our teammates, and learning to be loud and trust our teammates,” Wyss said. 

Wyss was reluctant to make any prediction about how the team will fare in the GNC this season. That’s partly because, aside from seeing Mosinee last year while serving as an assistant at Marshfield Columbus, Wyss has little familiarity with the Hodags’ conference foes. 

On paper, Mosinee figures to be the favorite as it seeks its fifth conference title in six years. Tomahawk, Medford and Antigo all return a number of key players and figure to be in the mix. Lakeland graduated conference co-player of the year Meg Pfannerstill and has a new head coach this year in RHS alumnae Taylor Bruhl (nee Wissbroecker). Northland Pines, like Rhinelander, graduated its two all-conference selections from last year. 

Regardless of how things shake out, Wyss said she’s looking for growth out of this year’s squad in an effort to lay the foundation for bigger and better things to come for the program. 

“We have a lot of girls out and an entirely new staff, so it has been a tough process this first year for us. However, there is also a lot to get excited about, and a lot of potential,” she said. “We are all carrying heavier loads than what we would ideally like, but I think each team has potential to do good things, and every girl brings value.”

The Hodags will travel to Wisconsin Dells this Friday and Saturday for the annual Friendship tournament and then open GNC play on the road Sept. 5 at Tomahawk. With Tuesday’s home invite nixed, Rhinelander has only four home dates on the schedule this year —GNC matches against Antigo (Sept. 10), Mosinee (Sept. 24), Medford (Oct. 3) and Tomahawk (Oct. 15).

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected]. 

TEAM SCHEDULE

Date    Opponent/Event    Time

8/27    Stevens Point Invite    9 a.m.

8/30    Wis. Dells Invite    8 a.m.

8/31    Wis. Dells Invite    8 a.m.

9/5    at Tomahawk*     7 p.m.

9/7    Ashland Invite    9 a.m.

9/10    ANTIGO*    7 p.m.

9/14    Wautoma Invite    9 a.m.

9/17    at Lakeland*    7 p.m.

9/21    GNC at Lakeland*    10 a.m.

9/24    MOSINEE*    7 p.m.

9/28    Phillips Invite    9:30 a.m.

10/1    at Northland Pines*    7 p.m.

10/3    MEDFORD*    7 p.m.

10/12    GNC at Medford*    10 a.m.

10/15    TOMAHAWK*    7 p.m.

10/17    at Crandon    7 p.m.

10/22    WIAA Regionals    TBA

* Conference games | HOME GAMES IN CAPS