St. Mary's

must find 5

new starters

By BOB VARMETTE

Journal Sports Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- The Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Knights will have a decidedly new look this season. They have a new coach -- Stef Whittet -- and will have five new starters when they start the season Aug. 27 by hosting St. Clair in a nonconference match.

Whittet replaces Becky Mathiowetz. Whittet was previously the seventh-grade volleyball coach at Holy Trinity Middle School in New Ulm for four years.

"I'm very excited, but nervous at the same time," Whittet said. "I guess I don't really know what to expect. ... It's something I really wanted to do for a long time. This is someplace I wanted to be for a long time."

The Knights were 15-10 in the 2001 season and went 5-4 in the Tomahawk Conference. Whittet certainly sees a winning record as part of the expectations for 2002.

But as with every team this time of the year, there are questions to be answered if the Knights are to finish on the better side of .500. St. Mary's lost five starters from last year's team.

The Knights will need to find a hitter to replace All-Tomahawk Conference middle hitter Emily Schroepfer, who graduated. She led the Knights with 10.64 kills per match and was a force all through the rotation, also averaging nearly eight digs per match.

But first, it all starts with a setter. Last season, senior Sarah Haala finished fourth in the conference, averaging nearly 15 set assists per match while splitting time with her successor -- Ashley Helget.

Helget -- 5-foot-4 junior -- will quarterback the Knights' transition from a 6-2 to a 5-1 offense. It's her third season on the St. Mary's varsity.

"I learned a lot from Sarah," Helget said. "Just how to take over, how to take charge. I think that we'll work together really well. A lot of us have played together a long time."

The extroverted Helget exudes enthusiasm. And also confidence.

"I've been up (on varsity) long enough," she said. "I'm ready to take it on. I'm not going to get freaked out or anything."

Added Whittet: "Helget will be the one. She looks great. She has good court sense, she can set the ball anywhere. She's the hands."

While setting seems to be in good hands, the Knights still have concerns with their offense. It's not likely they will find a replacement hitter for Schroepfer, whose departure leaves a gaping hole in the front row.

Senior Ashley Meyer returns. She saw extensive playing time as a junior, averaging 5.68 kills per match.

Annie Suker also is back. In limited time last season as a front-row substitute, Suker averaged 2.72 kills per match.

Casie Schumacher is also in the mix for front-row time, as is Krista Armbruster, a tall sophomore. Jonalyn Cook is also competing for a starting slot, Whittet said.

"We'll all fill in pretty well," said Meyer, a 5-foot-5 outside hitter. "We all work together really well. We don't have one outstanding player, but we all work together. We're on the same page -- same page, same chapter, same book."

Meyer and the other Knights hitters have their task made somewhat easier, although it's likely St. Mary's will be a team that has to depend on many different hitters.

The one constant will be Helget. She'll be the one who will need to bring together the Knights' offense. Helget isn't the only one who is confident she's the right one for the job.

"Amanda has been up with us for awhile," Meyer said. "She works really hard. She adjusts for us. And she's such an optimistic person; she's a great player for the team to have."

Whittet said she's impressed with the hitting ability of the Knights. She likes the fact they hit it hard, but also likes that they're smart at the net.

"They know when to back off," Whittet said.

She's even happier with the defense. And that's good. The Knights will look to their defense to keep them competitive.

With a shortage of height, the Knights believe their defense will give them a good chance of posting a winning overall record in 2002. They look at the top teams in the conference -- Buffalo Lake-Hector and Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop -- and believe they can play with them.

"I think we'll do well," Helget said. "Everyone is hustling. We're going to work really hard."