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FHS spikers open at BSC cross-over

FAIRMONT — Fairmont mentor Haley Loerts literally has to look up to seven of her varsity volleyball players this fall.

The fourth-year Cardinals’ head coach, however, knows first hand that a half dozen or so hitters standing 5-feet-11 or taller does not always translate into victories on the hardwood court.

“At times in the past, we’ve struggled passing, so we’re looking to improve by incorporating that aspect of the game into a number of our drills during practice,” said Loerts, whose lineup looks to improve on a 9-15 overall record, including a 3-1 loss to St. Peter in the opening round of the Section 2AA playoffs. “We’ve focused not only on passing, but doing a better job of communicating on the floor.

“If we put the players in game-like situations under game-like speed during practice, they should eventually be able to handle those conditions during actual matches.”

Fairmont will receive its initial test of the season when it travels to Windom to face Luverne at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in a Big South Conference cross-over clash. The Cardinals then play host to Martin County West in their home-opener at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday in Fairmont.

“Being competitive in the first few matches of the season really sets the tone from a psychological standpoint,” said Loerts. “With 12 varsity players who saw playing time last year returning, hopefully we’ll have the leadership and court savvy necessary to be successful.”

Senior co-captains Courtney Williams and Ericka Kim, along with junior spiker Bailee Swanson, will headline the Cardinals’ talent-laden nucleus.

Williams, a first-team all-Big South East Division volleyball choice in 2016, topped Fairmont’s frontline firepower by registering 192 kills and 66 blocks to complement 239 service receptions and 93 digs on defense.

Last year’s Cardinals’ MVP and offensive MVP will return to her familiar middle hitting position within the red-and-white lineup’s 6-2 alignment this campaign.

“We’ll look to Courtney to be the same powerhouse hitter in the front that she’s been in the past, and she potentially will be an all-arounder for us,” said Loerts. “Ericka will play libero for us and rotate in for our two middles (Williams and Mallory Mosloski), while Bailee and Brenna Cutler will hit from the left outside spot.”

Swanson, who merited honorable mention all-BSC East Division accolades a year ago, will see action as an all-arounder after delivering a wide range of statistics to the Cardinals’ charts. Swanson delivered a second-best team total of 133 kills to complement 88 set assists, 154 digs, 46 blocks and 31 ace serves as a sophomore.

“(Junior) Taylor (Crissinger) will be our main setter again this season, while (sophomore varsity newcomer) Andrea Westcott will step into Maddie Hennager’s former role as our second setter,” said Loerts.

The 6-foot senior trio of Allison Lardy, Claire Cutler and Alexa Mosloski will rotate at the right outside spiking spot, while senior varsity newcomer Ana Krause will play both outside hitting positions.

“Our height is definitely one of our strengths this year, but I think our players’ ability to adapt to different positions is another plus,” said Loerts. “We (coaching staff) move them around a lot during practice so they can be more versatile and flexible during an actual match.”

Senior twins Mallory and Mariah Gochanour each return to anchor the backrow defense, and will be joined by Kim and senior defender Lindsey Tonne in delivering passes to the setters.

Loerts anticipates St. Peter being the top contender in the Big South’s East Division, along with long-time Fairmont rival Blue Earth Area, due to both lineups’ skilled returning personnel.

“Section-wise, I’d say that Belle Plaine and Kenyon-Wanamingo will be tough again after looking at what they’ve done during the past couple of seasons,” Loerts said in reference to the Tigers, who captured the 2015 Class AA state crown, and the Knights, who placed third in last year’s state tournament.

“Hopefully, we’ll continue to improve with each week and make opposing teams work hard every match,” said Loerts. “If we can hit double digits in the win column, I’d consider it a successful season.”

Sally Schmitz returns as Loerts’ varsity assistant coach, Sara Warmka makes her Fairmont coaching debut at the B-squad level, while Kim Breamer returns as the C-team mentor.

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