Staff writer
With nine returning letter winners, the Centre High School volleyball team is sure to improve its 2011 record of 19-16. The team finished third in the Wheat State League and fourth in the league tournament.
“We have all of our letter winners and starters back from last year so we should be at or near the top of the league,” coach Yvonne Burhoop said.
Five letter winners are seniors, two are juniors, and two are sophomores.
Senior Beka Basore made the Centre all-tourney team and honorable mention all-league honors in 2011. Senior Anna Weber was second-team all-league in 2010 and first-team all-league in 2011. Junior Bryanna Svoboda was named to the Centre all-tournament team in 2010. Junior Cacey Simons made second-team all-league in 2011.
Other letter winners are seniors Carrie Carlson and Genesis Rudolph, junior Makenzie Deines, and sophomores Shelby Makovec and Brenna Shields. Rudolph and Makovec are setters as well as hitters.
Senior Ellie Miller was injured during the first match of the 2011 season and is working to regain a starting position.
Burhoop said with 10 players vying for starting positions, it will be difficult to give each one the playing time they deserve.
Other team members are senior Olesya Opanasyuk, sophomores Courtney Mail, Callie Riffel, and Kailyn Riffel, and freshmen Ally Basore, Taylor Peterson, Carissa Shields, Abigail Svoboda, and Kristin Vinduska.
Burhoop predicts that Centre will finish second in the league, behind Goessel and ahead of Little River, Peabody, White City, Solomon, Hope, Elyria, and Wakefield.
Burhoop is in her 31st year as a volleyball coach and has an overall record of 504-350. Karen Nickel is her assistant.