By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
It’s a sport popularized at graduation parties and beach outings.
Volleyball is a game just about anyone can play, but at the high school level it’s divided into boys and girls.
Growing up, I remember playing with cousins, boys and girls, on the same teams. A co-ed game by nature, men can challenge women at the highest and lowest levels and vice versa.
Who wouldn’t pass up a chance to spike one in that annoying uncle or sibling’s face?
Volleyball brings men and women together all summer, on the beaches, in backyards and in gymnasiums. So why separate our greatest area athletes when awards season comes?
That’s why I’m dubbing the first official co-ed All-Area Volleyball squad for 2013.
I compiled stats, postseason awards and more, including the good, old-fashioned eye test to determine the 10 best players, male or female, among Burlington, Catholic Central, Waterford and Union Grove.
With six starters on each team, that’s 30 athletes to choose from, give or take a few.
Here are your winners:
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Nolan Rueter, Burlington boys volleyball
How can you go wrong with this one-of-a-kind volleyball talent?
The all-time leader in kills in Burlington history (17 years), Rueter overcame the odds to help his team to a Southeast Conference title and a sectional final appearance.
After injuring his ankle in September, Rueter missed a month before returning just in time for the playoffs.
He came back just in the nick of time to dominate in the sectional semifinal before taking part in one of the best sporting events of all time in a sectional final thriller against Westosha Central.
The team leader in kills, Rueter was forced to play libero when he first came back because he couldn’t jump yet. He showed his versatility with accurate pass after accurate pass coupled with a fearless ability to dig.
Rueter was named the Southeast Conference Player of the Year, and he is unquestionably the best volleyball player in the area.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Tim Gesteland, Burlington boys
What would you do if you had to replace the state and county player of the year along with two other all-state players?
Also, imagine how hard it would be to continue winning when your best player, perhaps the best player in school history, goes down with a serious injury for a month.
Coach Gesteland faced these challenges in 2013 and laughed in their face.
Though the majority of last year’s state runner-up squad was lost to graduation, Gesteland kept coaching, and the Demons kept winning.
In his 17th season, Gesteland had to move Josh Ketterhagen into a starting role when top player Nolan Rueter went down, and the results stayed the same.
Burlington finished 31-6 and went undefeated in Southeast Conference play for the second straight season.
Gesteland has built a state powerhouse from the ground up, enjoying big-time success after tough years in the late 1990s.
Able to mold any crop of talent into a winner, Gesteland makes the game fun for players, and they respond.
Hats off, Coach G.
FIRST TEAM
Quinn Spieker, Burlington girls
A first team all-conference and all-state pick, the 6-foot-2 sophomore skies above the competition and swings down with vicious force on kills.
Spieker led the area with 572 kills, good for roughly 15 per match. Her hit percentage of 32 percent also led the Demons.
Along with net domination, Spieker excelled everywhere on the court. She totaled 368 digs, second on the team by only eight.
Spieker also led Burlington with 48 aces.
An all-state selection in her first two seasons, expect a run at state player of the year next season.
Ali Rueter, Burlington girls
A second team all-state pick as a freshman, Rueter, Nolan’s sister, emulated her brother’s all-around skills.
She was an honorable mention all-state selection and earned second team all-SLC honors.
Rueter provided the best of both worlds, setting and hitting, a rare combination at the varsity level.
Ali was second on the team with 327 kills, averaging about eight per match.
Also, she tallied 305 assists, second on the team to Emma Fettig’s 773. The 1-2 punch of Ali and Quinn was unstoppable at times.
With a 31 percent hit percentage, Rueter also added 151 digs.
Rueter and Spieker should lead the Lady Demons to the volleyball promised land the next two seasons.
Kylie Wilks, Union Grove
What a year it was for the Lady Broncos.
They enjoyed their first-ever state ranking in Division 1 and played in their first Division 1 sectional final, despite a loss to Muskego.
Wilks was the backbone of the club, and some of her performances were almost too good to be true.
A stat stuffer, there’s nothing on the court Wilks can’t handle. The sophomore sensation was second on the team with 339 kills and led the team with 570 assists.
An honorable mention all-state pick, Wilks paced the club with an impressive 83 aces and added 369 digs.
Her 42.9 kill percentage was tops on the team.
In a stacked Southern Lakes Conference, Union Grove is becoming a power, and Wilks will only get better next year.
Savannah Kohlhagen, Union Grove
You can call this outside hitter the enforcer. She’s a professional when it comes to spiking the ball straight down to the court.
Kohlhagen led the Broncos with 414 kills, a solid 3.4 per game.
She also shined defensively, with 457 digs this season.
A first team all-SLC pick, Kohlhagen is only a junior and should once again help make the Broncos a contender next season.
Teagan Taylor, Burlington
Burlington coach Teri Leach said Tuesday night Taylor is the best libero in the area.
With gaudy numbers and a gritty, determined brand of leadership on the court, it’s hard to argue that point.
Taylor is a gamer. In a sectional final loss to Westosha Central, she was visibly ill but played through it for her team.
Her 376 digs were tops on the Demons, and she set the tempo for strong offensive play with her crisp passing.
Taylor added 44 aces and a strong 90-percent serve percentage.
A candidate for team captain next season as a senior, Taylor will be a trusted leader on a team full of talent.
SECOND TEAM
Jake DeRosier, Burlington boys
The setter is like the quarterback on the volleyball court.
If that saying is true, DeRosier had an Aaron Rodgers-like year, minus the broken collarbone.
DeRosier earned first team all-Southeast Conference honors for his craftiness with the volleyball, particularly his ability to set up hitters with direct, looping passes, tip passes or even backward sets.
DeRosier was an honorable mention all-state pick for his efforts. When Rueter missed a month with an injury, DeRosier helped the Demons remain perfect and win conference.
Having to set to new hitters like Josh Ketterhagen, DeRosier didn’t miss a beat and kept the offense running smoothly.
Rebekah Raebel, Waterford
Raebel was the best player on the improving Wolverines squad.
A four-year letter-winner, Raebel enjoyed a banner all-around season in 2013.
A second team all-SLC selection, Raebel had 244 kills, 90 blocks, 36 aces and 108 digs.
She played middle hitter for the Wolverines.
“She did a nice job talking and leading the team on and off the court,” said Waterford coach Kelli Trautmann.
The only Wolverine to make all-conference, Raebel led Waterford to a respectable season.
Kelley Becker, Union Grove
Some players dig, and others burrow.
Kelley Becker flat-out buries herself way, way down low.
There’s no other way to describe Becker’s amazing digging ability. She led the area by far with 541 digs, good for 4.3 per game.
A talented passer and setter, the libero totaled 88 assists. Also, her 766 serve-receives led the Broncos.
Expect this sophomore to shine for two more years. Look out for the Broncos in 2014.
Maddie Joski, Catholic Central
The senior showed exemplary leadership in big moments all season, helping the Toppers reach a Division 4 sectional final.
Joski’s defense was top-notch, as she led the Toppers with 428 digs. She saved many points with her sure hands and good positioning.
The leader of a young Topper squad, Catholic Central stepped up in the postseason for a strong run. Her efforts earned her all-Metro Classic honorable mention.
Joski was a member of two state championship squads.
Olivia Sobbe, Catholic Central
This sophomore can just about anything on the court.
She led the squad in blocks with 65, was second in aces (50), second in kills (138) and even second in assists (143).
Sobbe had the best hitting percentage on the team and should be a force for the next two falls.
Abby Tweet, Catholic Central
A powerhouse at the net and beyond, Tweet was a kill machine.
She led the club with 170 kills and demonstrated her strength with each hit. A solid defensive player as well, Tweet notched 285 digs.
Talented from the service line, Tweet added 47 aces.
Tweet was named honorable mention in the all-Metro Classic voting.
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