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2009 Recap



The Fox Valley Association has quickly become a volleyball powerhouse on the state stage with four different conference teams qualifying for the State Tournament in the past 10 years. Last year two teams earned a State Quarterfinal berth for the second time since 2005, as regular season champion Kaukauna and runner-up Fond du Lac actually played each other in the quarterfinal round at the Resch Center. Kaukauna beat the Cardinals in a five-set, come-from-behind victory in what was one of the best games of the 2009 State Tournament. The Galloping Ghosts eventually lost in the finals against Muskego, but not before amassing an unblemished 9-0 league mark and 37-8 record overall. Fondy meanwhile, finished tied with Oshkosh West at 7-2 in league play as the Wildcats lost to FVA rival Neenah in a Regional final. Neenah, Appleton North and Appleton East all tied for fourth place with matching 5-4 records, with the Rockets losing in the Sectional final to Fond du Lac.



2009 Final Standings

2009 All-Conference Teams



2010 Preview



Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Fond du Lac

2) Kaukauna

3) Neenah

4) Kimberly

5) Appleton North

6) Oshkosh West

7) Appleton East

8) Appleton West

9) Oshkosh North

10) Menasha



Players to Watch:

Monica Flood, Appleton East

Taylor Hegg, Appleton West

Morgan Nick, Fond du Lac

Kayla Pickart, Fond du Lac

Emily Riese, Fond du Lac

Jenni Fassbender, Kaukauna

McKinzie Friemuth, Kaukauna

Sarah Prellwitz, Kaukauna

Maria De Valk, Kimberly

Kristen Hovie, Neenah

Simone House, Oshkosh North

Megan Quandt, Oshkosh West



2010 Season Outlook:

Fond du Lac had last qualified for the WIAA State Tournament in 1994, and 15 years later the Cardinals made their return to the big stage. This year Fond du Lac has equally high expectations as it returns all but two starters from last year's second-place FVA and State quarterfinal qualifying squad. Head coach Julie Riese, who will be entering her 24th season at the helm, said "we have a smart, strong setter and a pair of strong outsides, but mental toughness could be a question mark this season." That setter is 5-10 junior Emily Riese, who earned First-Team All-FVA honors and an All-State Honorable Mention last season while tallying 1,016 assists as a sophomore alone. Also named to the All-FVA First Team and All-State HM was Kayla Pickart, who tallied 355 kills and averaged 3.4 kills per set. That pair will have plenty of support from the rest of the squad, including Second-Team All-FVA outside hitter Morgan Nick. In all, Fondy has almost 90 percent of its kills, 78 percent of its blocks and 69 percent of its digs returning-- ingredients for a recipe that could brew a league title for the Cardinals.



Kaukauna took the season sweep from Fondy last season, beating them in the regular season, the FVA Tournament and finally in the State quarterfinals. This season the Ghosts have just some light patching to do as they lost some go-to players in the off-season. Now graduated is All-State First Team right side hitter Leah Van Zeeland, who will be playing for UW-Green Bay this fall, as well as incoming senior Abby DeBruin who head coach Dan Scharenbroch said tore her ACL this spring. Nonetheless, Kaukauna has five starters back from last year's run to the Resch, including All-Conference First Team outside hitter Jenni Fassbender and Second Teammates McKinzie Friemuth setting and Sara Prellwitz hitting middle. Libero Maria Van Abel, who racked up 756 digs last season alone, should be outstanding in the back row as the Ghosts will reload for 2010. Kaukauna has also qualified for the past five Sectional finals, earning state berths in 2005, 2007 and 2009.



Neenah also has plenty of playoff program history, earning a Sectional final berth 12 of the past 13 years and a trip to State in 2005. Head coach Bruce Moriarty knows his Rockets will be competitive again this year, "expecting a top three finish in conference." Yet "consistency and ball-control will be the biggest concerns," Moriarty said. "If we can avoid excessive unforced errors we will be a force to be reckoned with." The Rockets have a lot of rebuilding to do from last year's squad though, as it lost six of its seven starters to graduation. Though if there were one player that could carry the entire Rocket load it would be All-Conference First Team outside hitter Kristin Hovie, who will need to lead this team to improve on last season's 5-4 league mark.



Kimberly is another school with a strong winning tradition, earning four State berths in the past decade. Yet the last trip to State the Papermakers made was in 2004 and they struggled to a 3-6 record in the FVA last season. Returning this season is incoming junior middle Maria De Valk, who earned Honorable Mention All-FVA last year. Look for returning outside hitters Brianne Meehl and Amanda School to step into a more prominent role as well, as Kimberly pushes back to prominence. Appleton North surprised Oshkosh West in last season's finale to move into a three-way tie for fourth place in the FVA. This year the Ligntning will be without All-Conference Second Team Abby Casperson and Honorable Mentions Victoria LeBeau and Kylie Thews. Nonetheless, Appleton North could be a dark horse in the league this year with plenty of young talent ready to shine on the varsity level.



Oshkosh West was a bit of a surprise in the FVA last season, tying Fond du Lac for second place in the final standings. The Wildcats would have won the title outright, but a pesky Appleton North team took them down a peg. Also surprisingly, West only had two All-Conference nominees last season, the now-graduated First Team Lauren Probst and Honorable Mention Megan Quandt. Quandt and Oshkosh West should look for more respect this season and are part of a highly-competitive pack in the middle of the conference. Appleton East junior Monica Flood will be a go-to for Appleton East this season, as the Patiots look to also remain in that tough middle pack. In order to do so though, East must remain consistent night in and night out and take care of business against the teams it should beat. Appleton West was another of those pack dogs last season and could surprise a few teams this year as well. Incoming junior Tayler Hegg was an All-Conference Honorable Mention last season and will need to lead the Terrors through a rough season-opening schedule; traveling to Kaukauna, hosting Kimberly and Appleton North and then hitting the road to Fond du Lac.



Oshkosh North lost all nine Fox Valley Association games last season, including an early-season basement showdown against Menasha. This season the Spartans and All-Conference Second Team junior Simone House will look to not only open the FVA season 1-0 against the Bluejays, but also pick off a few sleeping squads this year. The Bluejays, meanwhile, will need to find some replacements for a pair of graduated All-Conference nominees in order to stay out of the FVA cellar again this year.