By DELBERT PETERS

Staff writer

A strong group of experienced players greet head coach Crysta Guhr for the 2011 volleyball season at Goessel. The Bluebirds won the Wheat State League last year with a record of 8-0 and finished 26-14 overall with an appearance at the 1A State tournament. Coach Guhr is anticipating 17 girls on this year’s team and she is assisted by Joanna Pyle.

Senior Nicole Bartel will be depended on as a defensive specialist. Senior Paige Booton will hit from the outside while Samantha Jarvis and Makaila Schmidt will attack from the opposite side. Senior Aimee Flaming will assume some of the setting duties along with junior Jessica Harvey. Juniors Tia Goertzen and Alex Hiebert will contribute as hitters. All eight of these girls earned some quality varsity time last year in a very successful season.

Two players that Coach Guhr is expecting good results from during the season are senior D’Ambra Kruger and junior Johanna Hoffman.

Booton commented, “We’re going to have to persevere to be successful this year. We have six seniors on the team with a lot of leadership and fundamentals, so we should do well.”

Thinking about their experience at state last year, Aimee Flaming said, “We had such fun, playing in a huge gym against teams we had never seen. It was great.”

Goessel’s season begins Tuesday at Ell Saline and the first home matches will be on Sept. 6 with Centre and Elyria Christian. Goessel fans will also be able to enjoy the Bluebirds at home for their Invitational tournament Sept. 10.

Tough teams are on the schedule with Little River being a league team and others including Hesston, Halstead, Olpe, Central Christian and Sedgwick.

The tough schedule will prepare the team and allow them to peak at the end of the season, propelling them to the state tournament again at Hays.