With five of the 11 women’s volleyball players at Rainy River Community College in their sophomore season of eligibility, head coach Mel Millerbernd is counting on sophomore leadership, enthusiasm and passion about playing volleyball to be strengths of the 2011 team.
Millerbernd, whose head coaching experience in volleyball spans three decades as she begins her 23rd season as RRCC’s head coach after seven years at Littlefork-Big Falls, headed up a team in 2010 that went 14-12.
Two All-MCAC Northern Division and All-Region 13B players from last year are gone after using up their second year of eligibility for the Voyageurs, hitter Cally Tinkess and setter Danika Stelton, the latter Millerbernd described as a “very experienced setter.”
Millerbernd lists a trio of top returning athletes:
• Haylee Gates, an “aggressive hitter” from Big Falls who averaged 2.7 kills per game.
• Kelly Sorensen, an “excellent passer” from Roseau at the Libero position who averaged 3.3 digs per game.
• Katrina Wreggitt, a “good blocker” from Fort Frances, Ontario, at the hitter position who averaged .6 blocks per game.
Going into the 2011 season, which officially begins Saturday with a tournament at Fergus Falls, Millerbernd said passing and blocking are team weaknesses, while she is concerned the most about the possibility of injury this season.
She said the team goals include finishing in the top four of the MCAC’s Northern Division and Advancing to the Region 13B tournament.
Millerbernd said she is looking forward to “working with a talented group of young ladies” and “helping them achieve their goal of advancing to the Region 13B tourney.”
She said the teams to watch out for on this year’s schedule include Central Lakes and Itasca, the latter having won the 2010 Northern Division conference championship.
