Bennington Volleyball

2008 Record   26-6

(#8 OWH; #10 LJS)

 

The girls entered the 2008 volleyball season with high expectations and lofty goals.  When the season was over the girls had achieved many of their goals including, the highlight of the volleyball season, making the schools first trip to the state volleyball tournament in 10 years.  Although it didn’t end up the way we were all hoping, it was a fantastic experience and opportunity for the members of this year’s team.  That opportunity didn’t happen by accident or luck, it was earned.

 

The varsity girls spearheaded the effort starting in the summer with great leadership and a belief that hard work was the only way to achieve what they wanted.  Summer activities included a float in the Bennington Daze Parade, ‘Dunk Tank’ and car washing at the elementary as fundraisers, open gyms, conditioning, summer leagues and teams camps.  Mr. Turner was the first volunteer (aka: victim) in the dunk tank and we want to thank him, as well as all other helpers, for making that a tremendous success.  Team camps included Creighton, Missouri State and UNL.  They were very beneficial in the preparation for the season.  The three seniors (Kayla Book, Kelsey Hansen, Katie Pearson) have been remarkable for the volleyball program!  I will truly miss having these girls around.

 

Twenty-seven girls ended the year under the direction of head coach Scott Romans and two new coaches; Jodi Bierman and Mike Godek.  We had a fantastic start to the season as the varsity rattled off seven strait wins including victories over Platteview, Arlington and Elmwood-Murdock.  Rival Syracuse handed the badgers their first loss of the season.  The girls bounced back to win their next eight matches, brining their record to 15-1.  During that stretch we won our own Bennington Invite for the second strait year going 3-0.

 

The very tough Wisner tournament produced a 1-2 record with losses to West Point-Beemer and Wisner.  The losses fueled the teams drive to improve in order to reach their goal of making the state tournament as both of those teams were in our district.  The girls bounced back with two terrific wins over Wahoo in the conference tournament and a much better showing against Syracuse gave the team proof that their hard work was going to pay off.  Next, the girls finished third in the very tough Bergan Invite losing only to eventual state qualifier Battle Creek.  The regular season came to an end with another strait set win over Wahoo.

 

The race to state was next.  We started by defeating Ft Calhoun then a much improved Arlington squad in the sub-district finals.  The wild card was not an option even though we had only 5 losses on the season and those losses came to teams with a record of 150 wins against only 20 losses.  As it turned out, three of our five losses were against other state qualifying teams and the other two teams had to face off to see who played us in the District finals.  West Point-Beemer beat Wisner in the battle of 28 win teams setting up a rematch from earlier in the season. 

 

It was a jammed house at the Fremont school and with the exception of Bailey’s pre-game knee injury, it was definitely our night.  After winning the first set we came out and played the most amazing game I’ve ever seen.  We beat the 5 loss West Point-Beemer team 25-4.  We let up and we lost game three, but finished punching our ticket to Lincoln with a fourth set victory.  As the eighth seed in the tournament we drew Grand Island Central Catholic in the first round.  The jitters were apparent in the first set but we settled down in the second and third sets but were still defeated in strait sets.  There is no doubt that that loss will motivate our girls to in the coming season.  They have unfinished business.

 

The girls set school records in wins and winning percentage going 28-6 on the season.  In addition the team set the C1 STATE record for Kills in a Season; Set Assists in a Season; Kills in a Match and Set Assists in a Match (-vs- Platteview).  The ‘Match’ records are on NSAA’s website already.

 

Academically, the girls were equally impressive and were awarded the American Volleyball Coaches Academic Award.  Last year they were only one of four teams in the state to receive the award.  I am confident they will again be awarded the prestigious honor.  The girls do a remarkable job of balancing academic and activities.

 

2008 Bennington Volleyball Team

 

Seniors

***Kayla Book                      Co-Captain

****Kelsey Hansen               Co-Captain

***Katie Pearson                  Co-Captain

Juniors

***Erin Backhuus

***Brooke Dutton

***Mackenzie Reynoso

***Bailey Schlotfeld

***Allison Siekman

Sophomores

Kirsten Aurora

Becky Engelhart

Courtney Grant

**Ashley Pearson

*Kristin Pokorny

Shelby Sass

Shelby Schlachter

Amanda Smith

Freshmen

Alexis Allen

Abbey Christensen

Brianna Dice

Demi Higgins

Megan Jacobs

Kylee Mumma

*Courtney Reiman

Liberty Taylor

*Erynn Westfall

Jessi White

Amanda Wood

 

* = Letter Earned

Bolded names Lettered 2008-2009

 

 

Team Highlights

American Volleyball Coaches Assn.-Team Academic Award

Most Wins in a Season-School

Highest winning percentage-School

1^st Place Ft. Calhoun Tournament

1^st Place Bennington Invite

3^rd Place Bergan Tournament

2^nd Place Conference Tournament

2^nd Place Conference Regular Season

C-3 District Champions

State Tournament Qualifier

 

Class C1 State Records:

Kills in a Season (1,174)

Set Assists in a Season (1,103)

Kills in a Match (69)

Set Assists in a Match (68)

 

Individual Highlights

 

Hitting Percentage (100 attempts min.)

Brooke Dutton                        381%

Erin Backhuus                         365%

Mackenzie Reynoso                321%

Ashley Pearson                       286%

Kelsey Hansen                        262%

 

Kills

Erin Backhuus                         284          (School Record)

Ashley Pearson                       244

Kelsey Hansen                        230

Brooke Dutton                        176

Mackenzie Reynoso                125

 

Digs

Erin Backhuus                         237

Kayla Book                             216

Ashley Pearson                       210

Allison Siekman                      200

Erynn Westfall                        101

Katie Pearson                          100

 

Set Assists

Erynn Westfall                        731 (School Record)

Bailey Schlotfeld                     102

 

Blocks

Brooke Dutton                        69

Kelsey Hansen                        67  (School Career Record Holder)

Ashley Pearson                       45

Erin Backhuus                         39

 

Aces

Erynn Westfall                        82  (School Record)

Kelsey Hansen                        43  (School Career Record  Holder)

Ashley Pearson                       36

 

 

Awards

 

Kelsey Hansen                        All Conference 1^st Team

                                                All-Area Honorable Mention

                                                All-State Honorable Mention

 

Kayla Book                             All Conference Honorable Mention

 

Katie Pearson                          Academic All State

 

Erin Backhuus                         All Conference 1^st Team

                                                All Area 1^st Team

                                                All State Honorable Mention

                                                Academic All State

                                                Top Juniors-Honorable Mention-Prep Volleyball

 

Brooke Dutton                        All Conference Honorable Mention

                                                Academic All State

 

Mackenzie Reynoso                Academic All State

 

Allison Siekman                      Academic All State

 

Ashley Pearson                       All Conference 2^nd Team

                                                Super Soph-4^th Tier-Prep Volleyball

 

Erynn Westfall                        All Conference 1^st Team

                                                All State Honorable Mention

                                                All Area Honorable Mention

                                                Fab 59 Frosh-Top Varsity Freshmen in the

                                                   Country-Prep Volleyball