The Grundy Center volleyball team has begun preseason practices with an opportunity to pick up where they left off last year. They have eight returning players who either started or played a significant number of sets from a team that finished one win short of a state tournament appearance.
One of the key contributors is junior middle hitter Ryanne Brubaker, who was second in the NICL-West in kills and blocks last year. Standing at 6’7”, Brubaker has been a matchup nightmare for opponents. Head Coach Lori Willis says Brubaker has the potential to be an x-factor.
“She can do things that others just can’t, and that’s fun,” Willis says. “It’s fun to watch some of the reaction of the other team when she does something because they’re just baffled. We get to see it all the time. But she’s a lot stronger this year. She is faster. She is more coordinated. I think everybody’s going to be super surprised and excited about how much she has grown and learned and just gotten better. We measured verticals yesterday and she is touching 10-4, and that’s very incredible.”
Other key returners include setters Caturella Brown and Lauren Zajac, who have both worked with the team’s key hitters throughout their careers.
With a week left before their first matches, Willis says the team has a few more opportunities to hone its skills, including a scrimmage Wednesday in Ankeny.
“The communication just sets a great foundation of how we play, the energy that we play with and the execution that we play with. Thursday, we are going to have our maroon and white scrimmage at 7pm. If anybody wants to come in and watch, check us out. And then we have our last, preseason practice on Friday morning. So it’s winding down, but we’re just going to continue to do what we always do. I always tell them I have two goals for you. Have fun and get better. If you’re doing those two things, everything else takes care of itself.”
They’ll begin the season Tuesday, August 26 by hosting a quad with AGWSR, Hudson and Waverly-Shell Rock.
Lori Willis interview:
