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Lady Indians tip off 2024 volleyball season
By Trenten Scheidegger
The Pecatonica Indians are back on the volleyball court after posting a 21-12-3 record last season. After a first round playoff loss to a familiar opponent in the Durand Bulldogs, the Indians are back with some big expectations.
Pecatonica head coach Lisa Mellentine is entering her third season as head coach and 14th season overall coaching at Pec. After two seasons, Mellentine held an overall coaching record of 39-28-6. Just before the start of the 2024 season, she took the time to share her thoughts on the upcoming campaign.
“We believe we can accomplish many goals this season and that the sky is the limit to what this team can do,” Mellentine said when discussing the team’s ‘BELIEVE’ motto. The Indians have a few lofty goals for 2024 but two of the biggest are to win conference and to capture a Regional Title. If the Indians can do so, they would be the first Pecatonica team to win a Regional in the last three decades.
They will have to fill some big shoes if they want to continue their upward trajectory, however. Not only did they lose Lauren Mellentine, First-Team All-Conference Libero, but they lost Addison Hamilton, Aubrie Gilson, and Olivia Girardin with graduation.
Despite that, the Indians have perhaps the most experienced roster in coach Mellentine’s career. This season, they have a deep senior class that knows what it takes to win at the varsity level. Kianna Degner, Payton Thomas, Elaina Rager, Maren Davis, Jaidon Hastings, and Paige Lender are all seniors that Mellentine has plenty of confidence in.
On Degner, the team’s setter, Mellentine said, “She is our ‘quarterback’ of the team. She has really worked hard to gain her knowledge of the game and it shows in her play.”
On Thomas, the right side hitter, she shared, “She is a leader of the court and will play all the way around for us, this year. She has really worked hard this offseason to improve all aspects of her game.”
Rager, who holds down the middle, was an Honorable Mention last season. This year, Mellentine expects more big things from her. “Elaina led our team in solo blocks last season,” she said. “She has a great nose for the ball. She is going to be an offensive threat this year and is working hard to learn the ins and outs of the game.”
Davis is another player that the Indians will rely on around the net. On both sides of the ball, she will have to be aggressive as the middle hitter. “She has great knowledge of where the ball is and she can block with the best of them,” coach shared.
On Hastings, an outside hitter, Mellentine is impressed with the work she has put in. “Jaidon has grown in both offense and defense,” she explained. “She works so hard to be better each practice and game. I have really seen the competitive athlete come out this year.”
Lender also comes in with massive expectations. Mellentine called her, “One of the best liberos in the conference”. She added that Lender has, “Really stepped up her defense and communication on the court. She has great knowledge and leadership.”
Even the newcomers who will be rotating in for Pecatonica are upperclassmen. Junior outside hitter Brianna Carden is expected to take on a larger role this season. Senior defensive specialist Maddux Thomas joins the varsity level along with senior right side hitter Ericka Alexander, junior defensive specialist Samantha Cobb, junior outside hitter Hailey Tipton, junior setter Lexi Diedrich, and senior middle hitter Chloe Green.
It’s easy to see why Mellentine is excited about this year’s squad. With so much varsity experience, the Indians start the year with a bit of a head start over their opponents. “We have players that can play all the way around and we are going into this year with a lot of experience and knowledge. We gained a lot of that through play this summer” she said, before sharing that the team went to compete in the Team Badger Camp in Madison this summer. “They are really taking that and using confidence going into this season.”
There is always work to be done, however. Early on, Mellentine’s focus for the team is their defense and coverage. “Defense is the catalyst for any team. You can play defense that will open up your offense a lot,” she explained.
The Indians and their head coach are well aware of the challenges they face competing in the NUIC. “It’s going to be a tight race this season,” Mellentine said. “It is going to come down to the teams that show up and play with consistency every night. All the teams this season are going to be tough, a lot of teams lost some good players from last year, but this season is going to come down to who makes the least mistakes. I feel it is up for grabs and the team that wants it the most will win the conference.”
On Tuesday, Sept. 10, the Indians get a crack at the team that ended their 2023 season. Pecatonica will play host to the Durand Bulldogs that night at 7 p.m. On Thursday, Sept. 12, the Indians travel to take on the Dakota Indians at 7 p.m.
