Hodag volleyball hands out awards

The Rhinelander High School volleyball team presented its year-end awards Sunday during a banquet in the RHS commons. The awards were a mix of coach-selected and statistics-based honors.

Libbey Buchmann, Lucy Lindner, Tori Stella and Kelsi Beran were honored for being the team’s leaders in kills, assists, digs and blocks, respectively. Additionally, senior Macey Schmoeger and sophomore Ava Rathbun where honored for their contributions to the team. 

Buchmann, who led the Hodags with 208 kills and was second on the team with a .125 attacking percentage, was also Rhinelander’s lone all-Great Northern Conference recipient this year, earning second-team honors. 

“You’re nothing short of competitive, but you know how to be an encouraging teammate through the wins and the losses,” Hodag coach Jayme Wyss said, addressing Buchmann during the banquet. “You find joy in the journey. I never heard you complain about anyone or anything. You’re always trying to look for ways that we can elevate our team. You anticipate and read our opponent before anyone else. You hold yourself to a high standard and are not satisfied with anything less, but you also have the humility to know when you’re struggling.”

Lindner paced the Hodags with 385 assists on the year and was the team’s most efficient attacker, hitting at a .170 clip. She also led the team with 52 service aces. Wyss lauded Lindner, a co-captain, for her leadership during the season.

“A leader is one of the first to arrive in the gym and one of the last to leave. They help set up the nets, they’re approachable and listen. They talk positively and are encouraging,” she said. “Those are the traits I saw in you the most. You played with hustle and determination … You’re a team player, whether we’re running a 6-2, a 5-1 or something in between. Thanks for being coachable, adaptable, a great leader and a team player.”

Stella paced the team in digs from her libero position with 382, more than 100 more than the second-best on the team (Buchmann, 279). Moving to libero from a defensive specialist position last year, Wyss said Stella’s confidence as a back row player continues to grow. 

“If you continue to put in the work to elevate your game, you can trust yourself out there in these tough moments or against opponents who get in your head,” she said.

Beran paced the Hodags with 42 total blocks, including 32 solo blocks. She was also second on the team in total kills (143). 

“I truly appreciate the personal, athletic and mental growth that Kelsi displayed over the course of the season,” Wyss noted. “She has a lot of fire in her, an intense competitiveness and a desire to be the best that she and her team can be.”

Schmoeger received the Coaches Award for her contributions to the team. The senior proved to be a versatile front-row asset for the team as she finished second on the squad in blocks (32) and was third in kills (92), all while moving from an outside hitter to a middle blocker during the course of the season. 

“Playing middle is intense and demanding, but having you put up a block for every hitter and your ability to swing weak side drew upon your strengths and better strengthened the team,” Wyss said. “For your flexibility and willingness to change positions during your senior season, for being coachable, for overcoming self-doubt, for looking out for your teammates and never complaining, I’d like to give you the Coaches Award.”

Rathbun received the Hodag Award and was also commended for her versatility as a reserve player for the Hodags. She was sixth on the squad with 42 kills.

“Ava was thrown into a lot of positions throughout the course of the season,” Wyss said. “She started out as a middle option until Callie (Hoerchler) was out for a week and we had her fill her spot on the outside. (She went) to a front row relief player to someone who receive a couple of right side rotations. She literally played everything in the front row at some point, and serve receive, so a little bit of back row action as well.”

Rhinelander posted a 12-27 overall record in Wyss’s first year as head coach. The Hodags went 2-10 in GNC play, sweeping the regular season series against Northland Pines. Wyss was quick to point out during Sunday’s banquet that the two conference wins for Rhinelander were more than the Hodags had in their previous six seasons combined. 

“While we have a long ways to go, and it doesn’t happen overnight, we are moving in the right direction,” she said, noting that the team’s progression was her No. 1 takeaway from the season.

“I truly appreciated those who saw the positive things and shared that with me,” Wyss added in her closing remarks. “It’s easy to fall prey to win versus losses and records, because that’s how the world assigns value. But there were a lot of small wins this season that didn’t show up in the record books. I’m grateful to the parents, officials and spectators who noticed.”   

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].­