Burlington Girls Volleyball Preview
By Andrew Horschak
Sports Correspondent
Losing nine seniors, including five four-year varsity players, from a team that qualified for the WIAA State Tournament would cripple most high school volleyball teams.
Not Burlington. The Demons still have the same high hopes and lofty expectations as they reload with a new-look lineup.
Just ask co-coaches Dan Lynch and Teri Leach about the potential of this year’s group.
“They should continue to keep fighting for championships,” said Lynch, who enters his 28th season.
Leach, who is in her 12th season, added: “We want to compete with the best teams in the state. Just because it’s a new group of kids, their goal is still to put themselves in a position to be competing with the top teams and try to win that conference and state title.”
Burlington opened the season on Wednesday by hosting 11 teams in the fifth annual Demon Invitational.
Burlington won the title for the fifth straight season, after dispatching area-ranked Mukwonago in the
championship.
Serve-receive, serving and overall defense sparked the victory, Lynch said Wednesday.
Three-time first-team All-State outside hitter Quinn Spieker has taken her talents to NCAA Division 1 Loyola University Chicago. Fellow All-State performer Ali Rueter has also graduated along with other key contributors like Tay Lewis, Phoebe Hozeska, Emma Fettig, Arden Peterson and Alyssa Wawrzyniakowski.
The cupboard isn’t completely bare, however.
Eight players return who saw varsity action last year, including five who played in last year’s state quarterfinal, when the top-ranked Demons dropped a five-set heartbreaker to Verona at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
Senior captains Alyssa Turzenski and Reba Thomsen headline the list of returnees.
“They’re both good leaders,” Lynch said. “They’re going to fight to win and play hard every point.”
A second-team All-Southern Lakes Conference performer last year, Turzenski finished with a team-high 416 digs from her libero position to go along with 44 service aces, while Thomsen led the team in assists.
Looking to add punch to the offensive attack, Turzenski will return to outside hitter, which she played in her first two varsity seasons. Thomsen will still be counted on to direct the offense, but will also take on an attacking role.
“We lost a big chunk of our offense,” Leach said. “Our dynamic hitters have all graduated. Offense is the area where we definitely know is a focus that we have to step up and improve upon this year to be able to compete with the top teams in the state.
“Alyssa and Reba, who are both smart and game-savvy players with high-level attacking skills, can hopefully help us be a little more versatile and make us a little less predictable.”
Other varsity returnees are seniors Angie Tuchel, Megan Wallace and Mackenzie Zwiebel, juniors Abby Koenen and Brooklyn VandeHei and sophomore Maddie Berezowitz.
Koenen is the team’s top returning hitter, while Tuchel and Wallace provide offensive options in the middle. VandeHei, primarily a setter, will also take on a hitting role.
“Playing against middles like Phoebe (Hozeska) and Tay (Lewis) over the last couple years has those kids very ready to step into the role this year,” Leach said about Tuchel and Wallace. “That’s going to be a big focus for us is making sure we can keep our middle hitter established and a presence in our offense.”
Zwiebel, a libero, will be counted on to get the Demons points off her serve and break down the opposition.
Among the newcomers, Lynch was quick to mention freshman setter Kaley Blake.
“We’re looking for big things from her,” he said. “She is very talented.”
The two-time defending conference champion Demons will battle with Westosha Central once again for SLC supremacy. Burlington has captured the league crown and qualified for the WIAA State Tournament in six of the last seven seasons.
“We have a lot of liberos and a lot of setters on our team,” Lynch said. “They’re going to have to play some different roles. They understand that and they’re ready for it.”
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