The Washington volleyball team is poised to contend for its first Mid-Illini Conference title since 2003.
While three-time defending league champion Metamora lost a handful of key seniors and franchise player Shannon McGlaughlin also graduated for ’09 runner-up Morton, the Lady Panthers are loaded with returnees from a 19-win team.
Five starters, one of which is in a new position, are back from a Washington squad that placed fourth with an 8-6 M-I mark last fall.
Sizing up his team, WCHS head coach Chuck Heinz said, “Offensively, I’m pretty confident in our attacking ability. We have a chance to be one of the taller teams in the conference if we can use that to our advantage.”
Three-year starter Lexie Barra, a middle hitter, was a second-team all-conference selection the last two seasons. She ranked among the top five in the M-I most of the year in three categories.
Barra topped the Lady Panthers with 215 kills, 67 blocks and 37 aces.
Heinz said the hard worker who is versatile will be relied on heavily.
Sophomore Lindsey Watson and senior Kortney Buckerfield, 6-foot-1 and 5-11, respectively, helped Washington upgrade the net play on the right side.
Watson got a varsity taste last year. Buckerfield and senior Taylor Kuykendall, who played in less than half of the games the previous season, hit the weight room hard in the offseason.
Senior middle hitter Abby Clanin, who shook off a preseason illness, ranked second on the team as a junior with 135 kills and 27 blocks.
Outside hitter Emily Heuermann, a junior, was a big addition after her midseason call-up to the varsity in ’09. She was the runner-up to Barra with 2.67 kills per game.
Another option on the outside is senior Haley Houser, who registered 125 kills in 30 matches.
Heinz installed a 6-2 system this year instead of a 5-1.
Getting the ball to Washington’s array of weapons will be setters Sarah Misselhorn, a senior, and Kuykendall.
After combining for just 85 assists a year ago, the duo will attempt to replace Lindsey Boyer, who racked up 579 in a first-team all-conference season.
The other key loss to graduation was Moriah Peterson, a first-team all-M-I libero who is the school record holder with 692 career digs.
Trying to fill her void at the libero position is senior Brittany Spurgeon.
Spurgeon, whom Heinz called the Lady Panthers’ most versatile player, is making the transition from outside hitter. She also can play defensive specialist or setter.
Also bringing back some defensive experience are seniors Mary Gabbert and Kiley Ruder.
Others on the ’10 roster are juniors Cori Venegonia and Natalie Hamilton.
Washington returns 84 percent of its kills, 75 percent of its service points and blocks and 73 percent of its aces. A hefty 66 percent of the digs also are in the fold.
The only area that has a significant shortfall is in assists, where only 15 percent of the Lady Panther helpers are back.
Besides the shuffle in the order of league matches, Washington’s schedule features other changes.
The girls opened Saturday at Macomb, a shift from an early October slot, and the contest with Richwoods also was moved from the last week of the regular season to yesterday.
The Lady Panthers will have tournaments on the first three weekends of the year with Limestone and Jacksonville to follow the next two Saturdays in their traditional slots.
Heinz said he thinks the changes will be good after his team seemed fatigued at the end of ’09.
The tournament line-up provided some exceptional competition with three Washington counterparts earning state trophies in the various classes. The Lady Panthers played two of them (Quincy, fourth - 4A and Lanark-Eastland, first - 1A).
Now without as many late-season dates, Washington should be fresher for potential showdowns with Morton (Oct. 12) and Metamora (Oct. 19).
The Potters and Redbirds have combined to win each of the last six conference crowns.
“Obviously the road to the conference championship still goes through Metamora and Morton,” Heinz said.
He said he hopes the Lady Panthers can drive on that same path.
“Our expectations are pretty high, which I like,” said Heinz. “But they’re only great if you achieve them.”
Washington got off to a promising start Saturday in Macomb with four wins in five matches.
In the opener against talented DeKalb, Misselhorn had a dozen assists, Ruder and Spurgeon nine digs apiece and Watson and Barra three blocks. Kuykendall added three aces.
Next, the Lady Panthers topped Sherrard, 25-8, 25-18, with Houser providing seven kills and three aces. Kuykendall had 10 assists, Spurgeon six digs and Barra three blocks.
In a 25-9, 25-10 victory against West Hancock, Heuermann landed seven kills and Watson four blocks. Six was the top number for Venegonia in assists and Spurgeon in digs. Houser and Barra chipped in two aces apiece.
Washington defeated Carthage Illini West, 25-13, 25-13, as Clanin had three aces. Team-high totals also were produced by: Misselhorn (eight assists), Spurgeon (seven digs), Houder (six kills) and Barra (three blocks).
The spikers ran their winning streak to four matches with a 25-16, 25-13 triumph over Rock Island in which Heuermann had six kills. Spurgeon was credited with a dozen digs, Misselhorn had eight assists and Buckerfield two blocks. A trio of athletes served two aces.
It appears the Lady Panthers are off and running toward a fulfilling 2010 season.
