Montague’s volleyball team has a new coach, longtime official Gretchen Schneider, but many of the faces on the court will be the same this fall.
The Wildcats bring back many of their top players from 2023’s West Michigan Conference Lakes runners-up, including three of their four first-team all-conference picks. Seniors Ava Pumford, Jordan Netcott and Jaelyn Sundberg are all back. Pumford anchors the Montague middle with her height and leaping ability, Sundberg is the Wildcats’ fourth-year starter at setter (she’ll hit her 3,000th career assist at some point early in the season, and Netcott plays strong defense. Netcott joins fellow veterans Maizie Collins and Kendi Rachow as team captains.
Schneider said in July that Montague, as you’d expect from such a veteran group, tends to be able to handle some of the coaching themselves.
“I’m finding them to be self-correcting,” Schneider said. “Even before I can say something, like ‘Take a step,’ or ‘Move to your left,’ you can see them on the court saying it.”
Pumford joins Reagan Cederquist, a three-sport Wildcat athlete, in the middle, and they’ll create an imposing front line for opponents.
Montague did graduate all-league libero Alissa Wynn, but it’s optimistic at the players available to fill that spot.
Schneider has praised the team’s flexibility, citing the team’s July camp at Calvin University, where it stormed back from a rough start to win the Silver bracket in team play. Players such as Joli Arrigotti, who had to shift to an outside spot in that tournament, and Annelyse Schneider, the coach’s versatile niece who’s being eyed as a super-sub whenever needed, provide vital depth to the Montague lineup.
Junior Gentry Knop, a back-row specialist, is a strong server and could be a weapon for the Wildcats as well.
Schneider said an offseason speed and agility program many of the players participated in with athletic trainer and girls basketball coach Jess DeBruin has paid dividends, and they look “stronger and faster” on the court. It’s been a productive several months since Schneider was announced as the new coach in February.
“We focused early on back in February, March and April on 4-on-1s,” Schneider said, referring to the informal gatherings permitted at that time by MHSAA rule. “Once school was out in June, we opened up some open gyms. Two to three days a week, we’ve been in the gym.”
Ludington has dominated the WMC Lakes since entering the league and should be an imposing obstacle once again, but the Wildcats certainly have the horses to take aim at earning the top spot in the league themselves. Montague will see plenty of WMC foes out of conference play too at various tournaments and quad events.
