On the Bench with Byron Higgin
What’s the first thing you think about when you hear two Junior Olympics volleyball teams went to Florida to compete against some of the best teams nation-wide and both came back with championships?
I had a couple of thoughts.
First: “Wow, volleyball around here must really be good — even better than I thought!”
Second: The fact each team had a Minneota Viking volleyball player on it made me believe the Vikings should have a pretty good team this coming year.
Lydia Sussner and Natalee Rolbiecki, as you see by our coverage, helped their teams capture titles at the AAU Nationals in Orlando Florida last week.
The fact that Minneota surprised everyone, especially the Tracy-Milroy-Balaton Panthers last year and won the section and went all the way to the state finals set them up for this year.
With nearly everyone back, they should get nods in the top of the Class A rankings next year.
The experience Sussner and Rolbiecki gained can’t help but make the Vikings a top contender in the coming year.
Those who watched Rolbiecki perform for the 16U Junior Olympic team say she’s gained considerably in her hitting skill and her confidence level has risen through the roof.
This is good news for a team with a great coaching staff and a bunch of very talented girls’ volleyball players. At the very least, it should make for a fun fall for volleyball fans.
Congratulations to Lydia and Natalee!
Your accomplishments are remarkable. But fact is, there likely are a lot more to come.
Mudhens need resurgence
It’s been a tough couple of games for the Minneota Mudhens, losing their last two games to Cottonwood and the Milroy Irish. But they still have a winning record at 10-7, with five more games to go.
Three of those are league games with Chokio, Ortonville and Appleton and both Chokio and Ortonville are at the top of the league.
They’ll get a nice test from Raymond (which won the state two years ago) and from the Windom Pirates.
The key will be to get on track heading into the playoffs. The challenge is there, but this team is capable of making a nice run into the playoffs!
Jr. Legion loses at Hutch The Minneota Jr. Legion lost at Hutchinson last Friday, 10-0.
“We played really good until the fifth and sixth innings when the wheels came off,” said Coach J.D. Pesch.
“We were short handed, missing Tate Walerius, Jacob Hennen, and Cole Sanow,” he added. “So we gave some younger pitchers a chance. Braeden Panka pitched the first 2 2/3 innings, Ben Skorczewski 1 2/3 innings and Grady Moorse 1 1/3.” “Grady pitched well, but the defense behind him crumbled,” said Coach Pesch.
ODDS AND ENDS:
•Southwest Minnesota State University has been ranked 15th nationally for the most affordable online master’s degree in coaching. The ranking is by College Choice, the leading authority on college rankings and resources.
Their goals is to help students and their families find the best colleges to fit their academic interests at an affordable price. SMSU is the only Minnesota university ranked in the top 15 and joins much larger universities such as Florida, Idaho and Missouri.
•Throws Coach is conducting a camp. Tom Thorkelson, Gustavus Adolphus Throws Coach has worked with many All Conference and All State throwers over the years.
The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 10 at Southwest State University in Marshall. Contact the college for more information.