By the IV Leader Staff, Sept. 2, 2010
IVCC Volleyball coach Julie Sherbeyn has set high goals for the Eagles volleyball team.
“Last year, we finished right around the middle of the conference,” Sherbeyn said, “so this year we would like to keep moving up.”
Sherbeyn knows that goal will be a challenge as conference foes Highland, Kishwaukee, Black Hawk East and Black Hawk are returning strong teams.
Sherbeyn particularly has her eye on Black Hawk East and Black Hawk, where she feels her team could improve on last year’s performance.
Leadership for the Eagles will be provided by four sophomore returning players. Randi Toynton of Ottawa and Casey Benckendorf of Streator Woodland serve as the team’s captains.
Toynton is the team’s setter and Beckendorf is a hitter.
“Casey came on strong in the last match of the DuPage tourney,” Sherbeyn said. “She needs to be a play maker.”
Other sophomore returners include Kelsey Carey, who Sherbeyn said gives the back court some experience, and Amy Piontek, who starts in the middle.
Besides the returning sophomores, Sherbeyn also has an experienced player in Samantha Deters, an L-P graduate who transferred to IVCC this year from North Central.
Eight freshmen round out the team, with four from Mendota and two from Flanagan.
“The freshmen have a lot of talent,” Sherbeyn said. “They have been pushing the sophomores hard. We need them to step up and be playmakers. They have the potential and the ability. They need to know it, feel it and live it.”
The Eagles opened the season Aug. 27 -28 at the DuPage Invitational with a 1-3 record, winning a match against Florissant Valley of St. Louis. Losses came against Moraine Valley, Harper and Lake Michigan.
Freshman Kenzie Mogged led the Eagles in the tourney with 24 points while Karina Arteaga added 14 points.
Sherbeyn knows her goals will have to be hard fought by her team, especially since they play many of their games on the road this year.
“We really hope, though, that we get a lot of fans to show up at our home matches,” she said.