Last year Warsaw's volleyball team won its seventh straight Northern Lakes Conference title and advanced to the semistate.

The Tigers were 24-15 overall and 5-1 in the NLC.

Three stars graduated off that Warsaw team - setter Melissa Bolles, Sarah Calhoun and Lisa Estep. Role players Sheila Whitaker, Jahna Swanson and Ann Fribley also graduated.

But head coach Jamie Byron believes she has talented players who can keep Warsaw rolling.

"We really do have experienced people coming back," she said. "Nancy Mason was on varsity last year, but she was injured quite a bit and didn't get to play a whole lot. She played club (volleyball) all winter and spring. She's one of our top middles. She's been really sharp. We have Alyssa Raphael, another middle, Shanna Smith on the left side, Carla Bailey and Jessica Zaugg.

"We have five seniors this year. It seems like we lost a lot, especially when you think of the big three. But we have varsity experience."

Concord snapped Warsaw's six-year NLC winning streak at 49 games last season. Fort Wayne Northrop, who finished as the runnerup at the state finals, defeated the Tigers 15-6, 15-8 in the first round of the Delta Semistate.

Nearly one year later, Byron brought up both teams.

"I know my girls want to play Concord right away because of last year, them beating us in the conference," she said.

But Byron also knows Concord may not be the main threat to Warsaw's run at an eighth straight NLC title.

NorthWood and Plymouth figure to chase after the title.

NorthWood went 27-7 last season and advanced to the regional. The Panthers return several stars like Natalie Will and Jamie Gill, and NorthWood coach Peggy Bough talks openly of her team's chances to win this NLC title.

Plymouth sported a mediocre 15-16 regular season record last year, but the Pilgrims won their 14th straight sectional title. They also return nearly everyone.

"I think Plymouth and NorthWood will be the biggest rivals in the conference," Byron said. "NorthWood has a tremendous team. They do have a lot of big athletes. They have a big middle (blocker), a couple of nice passers. They'll be fine. I think they are going to be our biggest test.

"Plymouth had a lot of young players last year, and now they're all sophomores and juniors. They're going to be tough."

The Tigers figure to cross paths with Northrop or other talented top 10 teams when they play in the Mishawaka, Ben Davis and Warsaw invitationals.

Byron can't guarantee her team will win all of those matches. But if her team does as she asks, she believes the Tigers will be competitive.

"Hitting right now is our biggest strength, but our defense will have to be the biggest key," she said. "We just scrimmaged tonight (Wednesday). It's going to have to be biggest part of game. If we're going to play with the Northrops and (Muncie) Burrises when we go to the invitationals, we're going to have to drag out those points as long as we possibly can. That means we're going to have to play a lot of good defense."

Warsaw opens the 1997 season with a Tuesday match at Churubusco.

NorthWood Panthers

NorthWood posted a sterling 27-7 record last year, but the Panthers finished third in the Northern Lakes Conference with a 4-2 record.

Veteran coach Peggy Bough is ready to win the NLC this year.

"We want to get conference," she said. "I usually don't come out and say that, but we have a shot with the team we have. We've come in second too many times. I'm not trying to say we're going to, but we have a shot. The way we look, we have a shot."

Bough brims over with confidence when she talks about her 1997 Panthers. She relies on a veteran squad that includes senior middle hitter Colleen Miller, senior outside hitter Jamie Gill, senior strong outside hitter/setter Angela Hattery, junior middle hitter Natalie Will, junior outside hitter Amy Zercher, senior Marla Yoder, senior Jamie Ettinger and senior Tiffany Glingle.

"Jamie Gill showed she has continued to improve a lot as a blocker and hitter," Bough said. "She's a three-year starter. Marla Yoder is a hustler, all over the court. We have a lot of positives. We want to intimidate people at the net. I think this team can do that."

NorthWood lost to Penn in the regional last season. Amy Sloat, Heather Stutzman, Sarah Stickley, Jessica Gunn and Timi Wegmiller graduated off of last year's team.

NorthWood is 0-1 this year.

Wawasee Warriors

Wawasee suffered the most losses of any local team coming into this season. Eight Warriors on last year's team graduated.

The Warriors went 19-14 overall but only 1-5 in the Northern Lakes Conference last year. They lost to West Noble in the second round of the sectional.

With four senior starters this year, the Warriors hope they have skipped the rebuilding process.

Six-foot-one middle blocker Lydia Carpenter, outside hitter/middle blocker Kara Mathew, outside hitter Darcy Replogle and outside hitter Andrea VanCleave are the four senior starters.

Junior setter/outside hitter Sara Frantz and junior outside hitter Sarah Mason round out Wawasee's starting lineup.

"Andrea's almost like a wild card," Wawasee coach Jason Fleming said. "She's an excellent defensive player. Now we've added up front hitting. She led the team in kills (against Tippecanoe Valley). With that much more from her, that's special.

"Now Darcy's hitting the ball well. We're still working on getting her adjusted in the backcourt. She's been plagued by a lot of injuries. Get her healthy and in the lineup full time, and I have four solid starters right there."

Wawasee is 1-0 in 1997 after winning at Tippecanoe Valley 15-12, 15-10 on Tuesday.

Tippecanoe Valley Vikings

Under first-year coach Jon Parker, the Tippecanoe Valley Vikings volleyball team shook off their doormat status in the Three Rivers Conference last season. The Vikings won two TRC matches, their first and second conference wins since 1989.

Manchester placed last in the TRC with an 0-7 record.

Parker and the Vikings eye continued improvement this year. Valley has a solid group back with five returning letterwinners. They are senior outside hitter/middle blocker Brandi Fisher, senior front/back row player Brandy Manns, senior Andria Parker, junior back/front row player Rhonda Doud and junior Brooke Fisher.

Parker, who has three varsity volleyball letters, led last year's Viking squad in digs and kill efficiency. Fisher led the team in ace percentage and was second in passing efficiency.

Junior Tiffany Cunningham and sophomores Carissa Tucker and Jennifer Studebaker, first-year varsity players, will also see playing time.

The Vikings lost three key players to graduation, including three-year starting setter Deb Burch and two-year starters Emily Cripe and Johnna Phillips. Cripe and Burch both earned TRC honorable mention.

The Vikings opened their 1997 season with a 15-12, 15-10 Tuesday loss to Wawasee. They went 7-15 overall and 2-5 in the TRC last season. With five returning letterwinners, Parker believes the only way to go is up.

"This year's team has an excellent attitude and is working hard to make a big improvement," he said. "They will come out fighting in an effort to improve on last year's record, and our goal is to be in contention for a conference championship and a sectional championship."

Triton Trojans

Last season Triton's volleyball team smashed the school record for wins, finished tied for first in the Northern State Conference and advanced to the sectional championship.

Triton went 25-7 overall and 6-1 in the NSC. The previous record for wins in a season was 19. They played Plymouth in the sectional finals and lost to the Pilgrims, who won their 14th straight sectional title.

Here's the deal: Head coach Gayle Perry thinks she has even more talent this year.

Graduation claimed senior starters Holly Hepler, Audra Meinert and Teri Hackett. But six key players return, all seniors. They are setter Heather Barron, Chris Scott, Jessica Kintzel, Jennifer Weissert, Megan Sarber and Kendra Blackford.

Now class sports are here, which have already helped out Triton. The Trojans are ranked No. 8 in the preseason Class A poll.

"As good as we were last year, we can be even better this year," Perry said. "We can fill those holes."

Triton is 0-1 in 1997.

Whitko Wildcats

Jennifer Freel may be in her first year as Whitko's head varsity volleyball coach, but she knows her players.

She was Whitko's junior varsity head coach the last two years.

She will coach outside hitter Amber Landis, middle hitter BrieAnn Starkweather, back row specialist Brittany Waybright, back row specialist Trisha Peters, middle hitter Shana Miner and setter Kelly Osborn. All are returning players who Freel coached at the junior varsity level.

"Our strengths are our six returners - they give us quite a bit of experience," Freel said. "Since they all have played together the last several years, they're pretty comfortable around each other. I coached JV the last two years, so I coached them then, and they're comfortable with me. Experience is the big thing for us right now. Our goals are to have a winning season, have fun and maybe win the TRC or sectional."

Whitko went 13-19 overall and 3-4 in the TRC last year. The Wildcats lost to Warsaw in the sectional semifinals.

Whitko is 1-0.

Manchester Squires

You can read Whitko's preview and substitute it for Manchester's.

Like Whitko, Manchester has a first-year varsity volleyball coach, Jessica Tate. Like Whitko's coach, Tate knows her players. She, too, was the junior varsity coach the last two years.

Middle hitter Jodie Peden and setter Megan Eckert are two key returners for the Squires. Freshman hitter Jessica Hicks and back row player Natalie Stambaugh also figure to contribute.

"These are girls I had my first year on junior varsity, and we have been pretty successful the last couple of years," Tate said. "We're excited."

Manchester went 7-24 overall and 0-7 in the Three Rivers Conference last year. The Squires lost to Wabash in the first round of the sectional.

Tate hopes to find girls who take the team by the scruff of the neck and point it in the right direction.

"Just letting our leaders come out naturally is important," she said. "We had a problem with that last year, finding leaders. We have good leaders. We're trying to speed up our offense and lower our sets and passes to create problems for the defense. That's the main thing we've been stressing, that and communication."

Erin Groombridge, Carrie Rodriguez, Katie Zile and Tracie Hart graduated last year.

Manchester's 1997 season opens with a Monday match at Maconaquah. [[In-content Ad]]