As if replacing eight graduated players from last season’s 25-8 squad wasn’t enough, the Warsaw volleyball also opened the 2014 campaign without its head coach. Sixth-year Warsaw head coach Mike Howard was forced to miss Wednesday’s season opener at home against Fort Wayne Snider because of back surgery. Assistant coach Chandra Hepler filled in, and was able to report positive news to Howard, as the Lady Tigers got a three-game sweep of the Lady Panthers, 25-21, 25-21, 25-13. “I’m taking game tape to him right now,” Hepler said after the match. Among the notes for Howard, Hepler said she’d talk about a slow start, which saw Warsaw fall behind 6-1 in Game 1, but after that, things got easier. “Everyone gets first-game jitters that first night, but tonight was to our advantage because we were in the Tiger Den,” she said. “But I think our tempo was different in the first game. We had (senior) Katie (Voelz) start out setting in the first game (while sophomore Cassie Hoag sat it out), and that tempo was just a different feel for the girls. In the second and third games, I think it was a faster speed and the endurance worked for us. I think (Snider) got tired and our girls moved them a lot more in the third game.” Despite not playing in Game 1 due to a team rule, Hoag still had a match-high 19 assists, as well as three blocks. Hoag joins Voelz, junior Jordyn Lindeman and sophomore libero Peyton Adamiec as major contributors from last season, but some other girls proved they may be up to the task this year. Senior Celia Heckert showed flashes last year, but had to split time in a crowded front line with Voelz, Lindeman, Emily Poe, Laura Craig, Taylor Jagger, Emma Bonifield and Chandler Stevens. With more falling on her shoulders, she made a big impact on the season opener, leading the team with 10 kills, while also recording nine digs and an ace. “Celia has always been a constant for us,” Hepler said. “She’s going to be steady, she’s going to be one who always goes to the floor to make those plays. She’s always going to make the pursuit and hustle after balls. So, we expect that out of Celia, and tonight, she shined.” Coming up from the junior varsity, junior Caroline Mayer also came up big, posting 15 digs, five kills and two blocks. “Caroline has worked really hard in the offseason,” Hepler said. “She came in here and has really developed some mental toughness, and I think that has helped with her physical attributes. Because of that, you say her execute more than she has in the past.” Junior Haley Peterson also had seven kills for the Lady Tigers in her first extended varsity action. Adamiec led the squad with 20 digs, while Lindeman put up seven kills, three blocks and two aces. Heckert and Voelz comprise the entire senior class for this year’s edition of the Warsaw volleyball team, and they’ll be asked to mentor a team of five juniors and four sophomores. “We’re young, but we have so much potential,” Hepler said. “I just can’t wait until the end of the year, to see their potential unleashed, because they’ve worked real hard coming into this season.” The girls will get a day of experience Saturday at the Lafayette Jefferson Invitational. Warsaw opens the day against Morristown at 9 a.m., followed by McCutcheon at 10 a.m., Milan at noon and Lafayette Jefferson at 1 p.m. “Lafayette Jeff is always great for us, because we get to look at a lot of different lineups,” Hepler said. “It’s a lot of play during the day, with four matches. We get a lot of different looks. We have different setters that go out there, and we’re able to look at the younger girls with different lineups. It’s great, because everyone gets a lot of touches, a lot of reps on the ball and a lot of experience. They come out of that tournament feeling good.”
