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2009 Recap



Green Bay Preble went 11-0 in FRCC league play last season and finished with an impressive 35-2 overall mark. The Hornets lost just 15 sets all year, three of which coming in the WIAA Division 1 Sectional finals to eventual State runner-up Kaukauna. Second-place De Pere was swept in the regular season showdown against Preble, then lost in the Sectional semifinals against the same Hornet squad 3-1. Manitowoc Lincoln, which finished in third place at 8-3, also fell in the Sectional semis while Notre Dame, another 8-3 squad, was upset in a five-set Division 2 Regional final by Luxemburg-Casco.



2009 Final Standings

2009 All-Conference Teams



2010 Preview



Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Green Bay Preble

2) Notre Dame

3) De Pere

4) Manitowoc Lincoln

5) Ashwaubenon

6) Green Bay East

7) Pulaski

8) Bay Port

9) Sheboygan North

10) Green Bay Southwest

11) Sheboygan South

12) Green Bay West



Players to Watch:

Marissa Ebli, Ashwaubenon

Jillian Ritchie, De Pere

Emily Keuler, Green Bay East

Kendyl Danelski, Green Bay Preble

Meg Goerdt, Green Bay Preble

Jenna Smits, Green Bay Preble

Claire Sieracki, Manitowoc Lincoln

Erin Lehman, Notre Dame

Rebecca Mastey, Notre Dame

Brooke Lauritzen, Pulaski



2010 Season Outlook:



Green Bay Preble had a dream season last year, losing just five sets in league play and 15 overall en route to an FRCC-best 11-0 league mark and 35-2 record overall. This season, head coach Andy Heimerman has just as high of expectations for Hornets who get plenty of experience back from last season's impressive run. "We return all of our setters and defensive specialists from last season," Heimerman said. "But we do need to get production from a second left side hitter." That left side was left vacant by now-graduated First Team All-FRCC nominee Rachel Taicher but Preble has All-Conference Co-Player of the Year Jenna Smits--who hit outside in the front row while setting in the back-- returning this season. Senior Libero Meg Goerdt and junior middle hitter Kendyl Danelski also picked up All-Conference honors last season on the Second Team and Honorable Mention respectively and should be a great target for Smits when she's setting. Also look for junior Annie Goerdt to step into the other outside role as Preble comes in as the early favorite to repeat as FRCC champs.



Notre Dame may be the smallest school in the conference, but the Tritons should pack a big punch this season. Returning Co-P.O.Y. and outside hitter Erin Lehman is just a junior as well and will look to get Notre Dame pushing Preble for league laurels in 2010. Also named to the First Team was defensive specialist Rebecca Mastey, providing solid defense for the Tritons alongside classmate Brook Loritz and senior Andrea Larson. If Notre Dame can find some new hands, as All-Conference Second Team setter Andrea Rowe was lost to graduation, it should once again be back in contention for the FRCC title.



De Pere head coach Michelle Kontny also has high hopes for this season, coming off a 10-1 second-place FRCC campaign last season. The Redbirds have a true athlete in senior Jillian Ritchie, who was named to the All-FRCC Honorable Mention last year and who will headline an always-competitive program. De Pere did graduate five of seven starters from last season though, and will need players like Ritchie and 6-2 middle hitter Emma Konopasek to step up big, quite literally. "We will be looking to fill our spots with kids with little varsity experience," Kontny said. "However we have players fully capable of playing a varsity level game, have a drive to win and that are ready to show excellence on and off the court."



Manitowoc Lincoln is one of those teams that always seems to be in the top tier of the FRCC race. Last season, the Ships raced to a 6-0 start before dropping three straight to Notre Dame, Preble and De Pere, taking them out of contention. This year, the schedule is the exact same, but the team is not--it will be without First Team nominee Courtney Mrotek as well as Honorable Mention Kayla Fehrmann. Junior Claire Sieracki, also an HM last season, should be the team's Nereid as she looks to keep the Ships afloat heading into the Tritons' waters Sept. 30.



Ashwaubenon finished just 4-7 in the FRCC and 15-17 overall, but this year's Jaguars squad should be much improved. Senior Marissa Ebli may be one of the tallest girls in the conference, standing 6-3 and hitting outside and right side, and will get the support from "two returning outside hitters, two defensive specialists and another right side," head coach Andy Schuessler said. The Jags will need to replace its setter though, as Kelsey Noskowiak and Second Team outside hitter Hannah Steward are now graduated. Green Bay East senior Emily Keuler earned First Team All-Conference honors last season, but East will need to replace First Teamer Stephanie Speel to improve on last season's fourth-place finish. The Red Devils did push undefeated Preble to five games last in the season, but were upset by Bay Port in the opening Regional round. East will need to find more consistency this season if it wants to crack into the top four once again in 2010. Pulaski also has one All-Conference nominee returning in Brook Lauritzen, who, like Ebli and Keuler must do with their respective squads, be the floor leader. The Red Raiders managed a near-.500 record last year, but will need to fill in for Brook Coenen and Nicole Lasecki if they want to repeat that finish.



Bay Port was the lowest-finishing team to boast an All-FRCC First Team nominee in Ellen Joppe last season. This year, the Pirates will most likely battle near the middle of the pack as they hope to improve on last year's 5-6 league mark. Sheboygan North finished right behind Bay Port at 4-7 and the Vikings will need to find a replacement for Second Team All-FRCC nominee Haley Molzner. Green Bay Southwest, Sheboygan South, and Green Bay West all battled to stay out of the cellar, with Southwest going 2-0 against South and West, interestingly. Those three directional schools might again compete for the bottom three spots as the A-C nominees from Southwest and West both graduated.