ALL-AREA VOLLEYBALL: Improved defense, leadership earn Burlington’s Spieker top spot

2015 All-Area Volleyball

 

Burlington leads with three first-teamers, Grove adds two

 

 

The first snowfall of the season pummeled the area Friday night.

Luckily it has melted on my sidewalk (a couple near-falls could’ve been disastrous, especially since my wife is recovering from a broken foot), and we’re again experiencing some mild winter conditions.

Temperatures are supposed to reach the 50s Wednesday, which will only tease us until two feet inevitably fall sooner and later and bury our cars and sanity for days at a time.

The temperature change signifies the beginning of the winter sports season, even though area football lasted until mid-November.

The Burlington girls basketball team played its third game Wednesday, conference favorite Union Grove has a win under its belt and the Lady Toppers of Catholic Central won their season opener.

We will have a long time, roughly four months, to cover a winter sports season that possibly mid-March, but it’s important we look back at the wonderful fall season now that we have a chance to reflect.

That means the annual All-Area Volleyball and Football teams, which consist of athletes from Burlington, Catholic Central, Waterford and Union Grove, or the Racine County division of Southern Lakes Newspapers.

This week, we start with the volleyball stars, which features boys and girls from the four schools, with six teams in total.

It was a banner season on the girls side.

Burlington reached the state tournament for the sixth time in seven seasons, and Catholic Central, Waterford and Union Grove all reached sectionals, the first time that’s happened in area history.

Burlington, Catholic Central and Union Grove have enjoyed recent success, but it was Waterford’s first trip to sectionals since 1999.

Area volleyball is stronger than ever, and the athletes show hard work, determination, passion and supreme talent every day in practice during the season and often year-round with club volleyball.

This All-Area team started in 2013, and the first two players of the year were boys, Nolan Rueter and Josh Ketterhagen, both from Burlington.

It’s the only all-area team you will find where both boys and girls are considered, where sex is irrelevant and ability trumps all.

Players are picked not only based on stats, but also overall talent, ability to lead their team, and the success of their team.

It’s one of the best times of the year, awards time, and this year’s volleyball squad won’t disappoint.

 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Quinn Spieker, senior, Burlington

The Southern Lakes Newspapers (SLN) All-Area team is nothing new to this 6-foot-2 force of nature.

The soft-spoken senior leader makes her third straight appearance on the first team, and in 2015, she overcame injury and added to her whirlwind of a volleyball career.

The Racine County player of the year earned her third straight spot on the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association all-state first team, and she anchored a Lady Demons squad that went 42-4, was ranked No. 1 in state all year and advanced to the state tournament.

Spieker recently signed her letter of intent to play Division 1 college volleyball at North Carolina State University.

There’s little reason to believe the power-hitting area kills leader, who has played in three state tournaments and won a state title as a freshman, won’t dominate at the next level.

“Quinn was a do-it-all player for BHS,” said Burlington coach Teri Leach. “She contributed equally in all six rotations, as skilled in her defense and ball control as she is in her offense that she is known for.”

“She was a vocal leader on the court with a great understanding of the game.”

For years, her best ball rivals anyone in the state and maybe the country, but it’s Spieker’s well-rounded play that set her apart in 2015.

Leading the team in kills and also racking up 339 digs shows the versatility of an elite volleyball player, not just a hitter, and Spieker’s game improved from last year.

While a negative hitting percentage hurt her state performance in 2014, Spieker nearly led her team to victory in a Division 1 state quarterfinal loss against Verona with 29 kills, 11 digs and a .339 hitting percentage.

Spieker was second in the area with 470 kills despite not being able to hit due to injury for a match late in the season.

Due to soreness in her hitting shoulder, she couldn’t use her powerful right arm to attack in a conference loss to Westosha Central.

But it only took a week for Spieker to bounce back, and she dominated in a pivotal battle at Union Grove and led her team to victory.

Spieker’s overall game continues to evolve and improve, and she will get even better at college’s highest level.

 

COACH OF THE YEAR

Teri Leach and Dan Lynch, Burlington girls volleyball

They say opposites attract, and Teri Leach is the yin to Dan Lynch’s yang.

Lynch and Leach have had a co-head coaching role for the better part of this decade, and the results have been stellar.

With two state championships in 2011 and 2012, a program that made state for the first time in 1997 now has six appearances in the past seven years.

Leach’s vocal, energetic demeanor meshes perfectly with Lynch’s quiet, behind-the-scenes wisdom.

Leach paces the sidelines and lets out the occasional roar, while Lynch gains a different perspective from the bench.

Lynch’s decades of expertise combined with Leach’s youthful, relatable attitude (she was once a Lady Demon) translate to results on the court.

In 2015, Burlington was 42-4 and ranked No. 1 in the state for much of the season. The Demons won the Southern Lakes Conference championship and regional and sectional titles.

Leach also coaches Burlington Elite, a club feeder program that has helped the city become a volleyball power.

Though some very talented seniors graduate in May, Burlington volleyball will always be a contender with Lynch and Leach at the helm.

 

FIRST TEAM

Kylie Wilks, senior, Union Grove

Wilks, who will play college volleyball at Division 1 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee next fall, was the best player on the Lady Broncos for the last few seasons and helped take the program to new heights.

Union Grove advanced to four straight sectionals, and Wilks was the catalyst.

A true do-it-all performer, Wilks was named the all-conference player of the year, first team all-county and second team all-state.

This is her third straight appearance on the All-Area first team.

Wilks set season records in kills (507) and aces (90) and career marks in kills (1,562) and aces (317) and led the Grove to second place in the SLC behind Burlington.

She is a vocal leader on the court and makes the players around her better.

“Kylie is a great leader on the court,” said Grove coach Anne Sireno. “She could put the ball away whenever we needed her to. If we were out of system, her teammates could still get her the ball so we could have an aggressive attack.”

At only 5-foot-8, Wilks jumps out of the gym and plays with the net presence of a taller player like Spieker along with the court awareness of a libero.

“She works very hard on the court, and she makes sure her body is in the right position every time whether we were on offense or defense. She has to do this because she isn’t the tallest player on the court.”

Wilks led the area in kills added 315 digs.

 

Ali Rueter, senior, Burlington

A multi-faceted player like Spieker and Wilks, Rueter is the final of our three-time first team All-Area members.

With an ever-changing lineup due to injuries, Rueter was able to fill in where needed.

Rueter was named second team all-state along with first team all-county and all-conference.

If she needed to lead the team in hitting, she could do it. Also, the 5-foot-8 outside hitter could turn into a setter when needed and dish assists as well as any setter in the state.

Her hops are unparalleled, and her superior volleyball IQ keeps her in position to succeed.

Rueter tallied 227 kills, 298 digs and 156 assists on the season.

“Ali is a powerful hitter who draws on her leaping ability and game knowledge to help her,” Leach said. “She helped carry both an offensive and defensive load this season. She is a quiet, yet fierce competitor and leads by example.”

Rueter was the second-best player on one of the state’s best teams for the past three seasons.

A strong leader on and off the court, she has a cool, calming personality and exudes humility despite her obvious talent.

 

Kelley Becker, senior, Union Grove

A lot of Wilks’ success had to do with her chemistry with Becker, who always got the ball to Wilks and the rest of the Broncos in crunch time.

Becker was named first team all conference and second team all-county.

She broke the season digs record with 575 and career school record with 1,680.

At times underappreciated at the libero position, Sireno said Becker should’ve been first team all-county, but there wasn’t a libero spot on the team.

“She comes out of nowhere to dig the ball with her quick reactions,” Sireno said. “Kelley had 804 serve-receive attempts and only 33 errors. She was great at taking the second ball if our setter had to dig the first one. She was able to find a hitter so we could have an aggressive attack.”

Becker led the area with 575 digs and passed an exceptional rate of 2.47 out of 3.0.

 

Mia Grunze, sophomore, Waterford

In only her second high school season, Grunze’s powerful offensive attack helped lead the Wolverines to their first regional championship since 1999.

Already one of the area’s best as a freshman, Grunze was the go-to girl in 2015 and earned honorable mention all-state, first team all-county and first team all-SLC honors.

A six-rotation player, Grunze slammed home 459 kills with an impressive .355 hitting percentage and added 238 digs.

The year-round volleyball lover is an early favorite for next year’s player of the year award.

“Mia was our go-to hitter, by far,” said coach Ashley Ingish. “Whether she was in the front row or back row, she was what gave our team spark and was a huge weapon for us on offense. Also, she provided a huge block on defense.”

The 6-foot-2 outside hitter has the ability to spike the ball straight down to ground over an opponent’s outstretched hands, and the velocity makes the ball a blur.

 

Phoebe Hozeska, senior, Burlington

The final of the area all-state honorees (honorable mention by WVCA), Hozeska will play collegiately at Division 2 Western Florida University next fall.

A 5-foot-11 middle blocker, Hozeska’s long wingspan and athleticism helped her and teammate Tay Lewis form a wall at the net for opposing hitters.

She was an all-around force with 125 kills, 24 aces, 68 block kills and 71 digs.

“Phoebe is a dynamic athlete with an obvious passion for volleyball,” Leach said. “She plays the game with a love and intensity that is exuded through her play.”

Hozeska has been a consistent force in the middle the past two seasons after overcoming a major leg injury her sophomore year.

Hozeska earned second team all-county and all-conference honors.

 

SECOND TEAM

Tay Lewis, senior, Burlington

Right behind Hozeska was her teammate in the middle.

Lewis, a multi-sport star who will play Division 1 softball at Iowa State University next year, can sometimes get lost in the shuffle with all of the big names on the Demons.

But her play in 2015 proved she belongs with the best, as the four-year varsity performer led the Demons in hitting percentage at .351. She had 131 kills and 55 block kills and was able to dominate the net at times.

For her efforts, Lewis earned first team all-conference and second team all-county honors.

“Tay is a talented athlete who has contributed greatly on the volleyball court,” Leach said. “She is a vocal competitor and strives to make people around her better.”

 

Olivia Sobbe, senior, Catholic Central

Sobbe was the best player on a team that advanced to a Division 7 sectional final.

A four-year varsity player, she played all six rotations as a middle blocker.

“It’s very rare to have a player who is a six-rotation middle hitter,” said Catholic Central coach Mae-Mae Oberhofer. “This truly is a testament to Olivia’s versatility as a player.”

A first team all-Metro Classic Conference performer, Sobbe had 300 kills, 295 digs and 59 blocks.

Frankie Pettit, senior, Union Grove

The tallest Lady Bronco at 5-foot-11, Pettit controlled the middle for Union Grove.

A second team all-county and all-conference pick, she also tears it up on the basketball court, as evidenced by her 20-rebound, 11-point effort Tuesday night.

Pettit broke the season (100 total blocks) and career (288) records for the Grove.

“Frankie was very good at playing smart while she was hitting,” Sireno said.

 

Robert Walusay, junior, Union Grove

The first boy on this year’s squad, Walusay was the hammer offensively for a program that showed improvement with a 11-14 record in its second varsity season.

The outside hitter was named first team all-county and second team all-Southeast Conference.

“Rob was our go-to attacker this year,” said Grove coach Dan Dresen. “We set him the ball front or back row when we were out of system. He is a very explosive attacker and was able to hit over the top of a lot of blockers.”

Walusay totaled 233 kills, 114 digs and 27 blocks.

 

Alyssa Turzenski, junior, Burlington

Already one of the best outside hitters on the Demons, Turzenski was asked to play libero this season.

A drastic transition from offense to defense, the 5-foot-9 all-around performer took it in stride.

She was second in the area with 416 digs and added 44 aces.

Turzenski earned second team all-conference honors.

“Alyssa made an impact at libero immediately,” Leach said. “Her knowledge of the game and strong ball control make her one of the best liberos around.”

As a senior next year, the multi-talented Turzenski should challenge for player of the year honors.

 

Mikaela Grunze, senior, Waterford

A 5-foot-11 outside hitter and the older sister of Mia, Mikaela was a six-rotation player for the much-improved Wolverines.

She earned second team all-SLC honors with 153 kills, 240 digs and a 96.1 serve percentage.

“Mikaela was our rock on serve-receive and defense,” Ingish said. “She has exceptional ball control and is a fantastic teammate.”

HONORABLE MENTION

Burlington boys – Zach DeRosier, senior, team captain led team in assists and also played right side, second team all-SEC. Tanner Swantz, senior, led team in kills.

Burlington girls – Arden Peterson, senior, honorable mention all-SLC.

Waterford – Logan Klein, senior, “As important as the other two were to our team, we would have been absolutely lost without Logan,” Ingish said. 97 kills, 215 digs, 483 assists.

Catholic Central – Sarah Gould, senior, second team all-MCC, 70 aces, 565 assists, 203 digs, “Sarah has truly been our unsung hero the past three years,” Oberhofer said.

Union Grove girls – Brynn Hetland, setter, HM all-county, HM all-conference, school season-record 928 assists, 219 digs.

Union Grove boys – Daxton Cramer, sophomore setter, second team all-county, HM all-SEC, 702 assists, 54 aces. “Daxton did a great job running a dynamic and unpredictable offense,” Dresen said.