HAWKS VOLLEYBALL ROUNDING INTO FORM AS SEASON NEARS

NORFOLK, Neb. – The Northeast Community College volleyball team enters a new chapter in 2022 as the roster is composed entirely of newcomers. Head coach Amanda Schultze isn't shying away from the challenge as she looks to rekindle the magic that came from 2016-2019 when the Hawks made four-straight NJCAA DII National Volleyball Tournament appearances.

"I'm excited," Schultze said. "Very excited to start all over and start some new things."

Of course, it might be easy to look at a roster of newcomers and rave about untapped potential, but the newness isn't the only thing that has Schultze grinning ear-to-ear when discussing her new team.

"Yes, it will be a new challenge, but I think I'm mostly excited not just because they are freshmen, but because they are good players as well," Schultze said.

The team does consist of a lot of youth, but it still bolsters plenty of talent who flourished throughout the state of Nebraska during their high school careers.

"Karley Heimes (Wynot, Neb.) will be a big player for us," Schultze said. "One of our setters, Kiara Krusemark (Wayne Neb.), will as well."

During her senior volleyball season at Wynot High School in Wynot, Nebraska, Heimes recorded 358 digs, 48 ace serves, 68 blocks and 385 kills. She was also named MVP of the Northeast Nebraska All-Star Volleyball Game, which coincidentally took place on the same floor that she will suit up on for the Hawks this fall.

Krusemark comes to Northeast with plenty of accolades as well, as she was named Lincoln Star Journal Class C1 Honorable Mention during her sophomore, junior and seasons at Wayne High School in Wayne, Nebraska.

There's something else about this new bunch that might not seem like a huge deal, but Schultze believes it could give the Hawks an edge.

"We do have a couple of lefties, and I haven't had a lefty for a few years," Schultze said. "Sydney Stelling (Milford, Neb.) is a lefty and so is Lilly Otten (Pilger, Neb.). Defending a left is just different. If you are not used to it, you can usually use that to your advantage."

The crop of new faces means that there isn't anyone who comes in with seniority, which Schultze believes makes healthy competition on a daily basis.

"That's another thing that I always tell them at the beginning of the season," Schultze said. "You have to earn your spot every day. Whether it's the preseason, the middle of the season or the end of the season you can lose your spot if you're not continually working for it. They know that they have to come in here and compete every day for that spot."

As is the case with most coaches, Schultze is weary of giving her team too much praise here in the early stages of them coming together, but it's safe to say the early returns are positive.

"I don't like to say it because I feel like it always backfires, but I don't feel like we're going to look like a freshmen team," Schultze said. "I hope that we are in the top half of the conference, and I really think that we can be."

Schultze has a tradition of letting her players decide what their goals are for the season, and seeing her group hit those ambitions is what her focus is on.

"I always have our teams make goals at the beginning of the year and seeing our players reach a few of their goals would be great," Schultze said.

Those who have been around the volleyball student-athletes can quickly see that morale is high and the good vibes are flowing. Schultze wants to continue to see her team stick together through whatever the 2022 campaign brings.

"The relationships we make I think is big," Schultze said.

The new-look Hawks will start the season at 4 p.m. Friday, August 19 when they battle McCook Community College in McCook, Nebraska and Laramie County Community College at 6 p.m. later that evening. Six days later Northeast will open their home schedule at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 25 when they take on Barton Community College at the Cox Activities Center in Norfolk.

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