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HARTINGTON — A mixture of youth and experience will write the story for the Hartington-Newcastle Lady Wildcat volleyball team this fall.
Fourth-year head coach, Sarah Edwards welcomed eight players with varsity experience to practice for the first day and 19 players total.
“We look forward to the challenges ahead of us for our young team,” the coach said. “I look forward to watching the hustle in our team, we may be on the shorter side of height, but we will make that up in our defensive hustle. The serve and pass game will be essential for our success.”
Four seniors are included in the returning players with varsity experience, and Edwards is looking to the group to provide the leadership necessary to be successful.
Lainey Morten, Justyce Sohl, Hazel Hochstein and Katelyn Wubben are the returning quartet of seniors.
Unfortunately, Hochstein is out for at least two to three more weeks with an injury.
Junior, Karissa Bruning returns with varsity experience along with classmate, Emily Climer.
Seven sophomores return for year two of their Lady Wildcat careers with Ella Eickhoff, Kloe Fischer and Vayda Lippert having varsity experience from their freshmen season and are joined by classmates Haydin Marksmeier, Ziva Stratman and Myrissa Lammers.
“I expect a lot from our returning varsity players in the way of leadership and execution,” Edwards said. “The incoming freshmen are here to work and are following the lead of the upperclassmen.”
The freshmen hoping to make an impact include Ella Kelly, Nora Lange, Hadley Lippert, Jocelyn Reyes, Elena Reyes and Olivia Olsen.
The competition within the Greater Northeast Activities Conference and other area teams will be the usual “sink or swim” adventure as the season unfolds.
“We will play all of the teams in the GNAC this year and it is a strong conference with teams that are going to be very competitive,” said Edwards.
The Lady ‘Cats will open the season at Crofton on Aug. 28 before hosting a quadrangular on Aug. 30.
HNS will open September at Homer on Sept. 2, play in another home quadrangular on Sept. 6, take on Randolph on Sept. 8 and Neligh-Oakdale in a conference match on Sept. 11.
A tournament in Atkinson hosted by West Holt is set for Sept. 13, then three GNAC games in a row at Summerland on Sept. 16 and Plainview and Elkhorn Valley in a triangular in Hartington on Sept. 23.
A trip to Wausa and a triangular at Creighton will end the month on Sept. 30 and open October on Oct. 2. The triangular includes the Lady Bulldogs and St. Mary’s.
A home conference date with Laurel-Concord-Coleridge and another home match with West Point-Beemer will precede the Lady Wildcat Invitational on Oct. 11.
A triangular at Winside along with Tri County Northeast will close out the regular season on Oct. 14.
The GNAC Tournament is scheduled for Oct. 18 through Oct. 24 with the D1-4 Sub-District on tap for Oct. 27 and Oct. 28.
The site of the sub-district will be determined later in the season with Cedar Catholic, Bancroft-Rosalie, Lyons-Decatur Northeast and Tri County Northeast joining the Lady Wildcats in the sub-district.
