Montague’s volleyball team became the latest local squad to grab some summer hardware last week, winning the Silver bracket championship at a camp at Calvin University.
The Wildcats earned impressive wins, all in two games, against Forest Hills Eastern, Hamilton and East Kentwood to win the bracket. First-year coach Gretchen Schneider said all three of those larger schools had defeated Montague earlier in the week during pool play.
“Every night we kept getting better and better,” Schneider said. “We saw massive improvement, visible improvement, each night. (Last) Monday night we were 1-4, Tuesday night we were 0-5, and Wednesday we were 3-2 and never lost a game by more than six or seven points. We hung with all the big dogs and played well.
“I walked out of there with goosebumps. The girls were on fire. It was crazy. we’re a senior-heavy team this year. We have eight seniors. They ‘re just raring to go and they proved it right out of the gate.”
It was the first time, Schneider said, that the whole Wildcats team played together. The program has hosted optional open gyms all summer that have seen good attendance, but never the entire team at once until last week.
Part of what made the Wildcats’ showing so impressive to Schneider was the team’s flexibility. Reagan Cederquist, slated to be a middle hitter this year, was unavailable for the final day of competition, so Schneider plugged her niece, Annelyse, in at that position and shifted Joli Arrigotti to the outside hitter spot.
Schneider also credited Jordan Netcott, Maizie Collins, and Kendi Rachow, the team’s three captains, for their leadership and volleyball smarts. She noted that she often finds them correcting their own mistakes before she can tell them to.
“I saw Maizie Collins do that the other night, self-correcting constantly,” Schneider said. “We saw tremendous leadership from Jordan Netcott. She’s playing a libero position for us this year. Her presence on the court has this calming presence. She keeps everyone where they need to be and lifts them up emotionally. She’s a born leader.”
Accomplished setter Jaelyn Sundberg and middle hitter Ava Pumford only add to what could be an impressive Montague lineup if all the pieces come together this fall.
Schneider is focused on doing just that. When she took the Montague job over the winter, she focused on building team chemistry and a positive atmosphere. She thinks those efforts are going well.
“We’re keeping a very positive attitude,” Schneider said. “The mantra, basically, that our captains have come up with is playing selflessly. That’s their motto. They are playing for the team. Everything they do is for the team. We’re taking out the individualness of it, and we’re not playing selfishly. Someone who’s really stepped up in that role is Jaelyn. She’s moving the ball around and getting everybody contacts to let them all hit.”
Like other fall sports teams, Montague will dive full-bore into season preparation Monday, Aug. 12 when fall practices are permitted to begin. The ‘Cats will hope to capitalize on the momentum gained at Calvin.
“It was pretty exciting,” Schneider said. “We’re just on cloud nine with that first showing...I hope it’s a great snapshot of what’s to come this season.”
