Dillon Hogan/ Winonan
Fall 2014 brings a new season, new players and a new coach for the Winona State University women’s volleyball team. Under new head coach Joe Getzin, the Warriors are looking to make a turnaround from an 8-12 record in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2013 and 11-18 overall.
The first test for the Warriors will be the Michigan Tech tournament on Sept. 5-6. The Warriors begin the season with games against The University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Lake Superior State on Sept. 5. The following day games against Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan wrap up the tournament.
The Warriors will rely on contributions from the whole team, both upperclassmen and underclassmen. Captaining the squad this year are a pair of seniors, Kathleen Omelina and Laura Zeamer. Rachel Polland, also a senior, is a strong go-to player for the Warriors. As for the underclassmen, contributions from redshirt freshman Taylor Goar and Kayln Biever are expected.
For the upcoming season coach Getzin has a positive outlook for the team and the future of the program. Coming from a Division I program at Ole Miss, Getzin has high expectations for the girls at Winona State University.
Getzin said, “Success for me is commitment to the program and a complete buy in from each player and so far the team has done that.”
Getzin expects this team to be a scrappy unit, playing hard-nosed defense to fluster opponents and to keep the ball off the floor. Getzin also believes the team is poised to finish in the top half of the NSIC and can be a solidly competitive team against tough opponents.
The team has had one scrimmage this season against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point who came off a very successful Division III season.
While the Warriors look sharp, Getzin believes there are improvements to be made.
“We need to get more kills. We have been having no issue with ball control and our defense, but we need to get more kills.”
One of Getzin’s goals for the season is to propel the Warriors into the playoffs after last year’s disappointing season and to set a standard for all other Warrior teams in the future.
Playing in the NSIC, which Getzin believes to be the toughest conference in the country, he said, “Concordia is always going to be a very tough opponent with 7 titles, but they didn’t even win the league last year which shows how good this conference is. Five of the teams in this conference are ranked in the top 20 nationally, but I expect us to be right there with them.”
The upcoming Michigan Tech tournament will guage what challenges that lie ahead for Winona State.
“The tournament is going to help us prepare for the challenges the conference will throw at us. We have to show that we can hold our own and are a quality team. We need to be focused on what’s happening on our own net,” Getzin said.
Following the conclusion of the Michigan Tech tournament, the Warriors head to Quincy, Ill. the following weekend for matches against Quincy University and Lewis University.
