Wednesday, August 22, 2018

2018 Fall Preview: Wildcats Look To Have Solid Season

By Ryan Stonebraker
Sports Editor

DURANT — The Durant volleyball team won 14 matches last season one more from the 2016 season. This year, most of those players return led by three all-conference team members to lead the way. The Wildcats started the season 5-5, but finished with a record of 13-21. The Wildcats won their first-round 2A regional match against at Wapello before falling to Wilton in the second round of the postseason.

Durant will welcome a new coach this season. Mark Lau takes over for Renee Meyer. Lau comes to Durant to coach high school for the first time. Lau comes to Durant on the recommendation of Durant resident Guy Dierickx. Lau, a longtime boys volleyball coach in a club setting and also has coached girls volleyball at the club level. Currently, he is the head men’s coach at Augustana College in Moline, Illinois.

Durant had three all-conference selections last year and all return this season. The Wildcats had a pair of River Valley Conference South Divisional selections in Kamryn Meyer and Ruby Kappeler. Aubrin Dittmer also was an honorable mention selection.

Meyer led Durant in kills with 312 with a 3.25 kill per set average. She served 307-for-352 with 37 aces. Meyer had 278 digs, 32 blocks and 15 assists. Kappeler led Durant in assists with 683. She had 263 digs, 13 blocks, 66 kills and served 289-for-330 with a team-high 46 aces. Dittmer was second on the team in kills with 263. She served 298-for-321 with 30 aces to go with 185 digs, 24 blocks and 10 assists.

Also back are Annie Taylor, Mallory Warner, Paige Werthmann, Kira Schult and Hannah Happ. Taylor was third on the Wildcats in kills with 123 and led Durant in blocks with 60. Warner had 94 kills, served 177-for-206 with 18 aces and was second on the team in blocks with 42. Werthmann had 35 kills, 9 blocks and served 17-for-28 with 2 aces. Schult had 19 kills, served 46-for-51 with 2 aces and had 10 blocks. Happ served 266-for-286 with 24 aces. Happ led Durant in digs with 326 and had 57 assists.

Durant lost three seniors back from last year’s team in Sierra Gregoire, Amanda Wiese, and Lauren Ralfs.

Durant will play in five-weekend tournaments with their first one coming on September 1 at Iowa City, City High, a new tournament for the Wildcats. Durant will play at Wilton, Benton Community, NE Goose Lake and host their own tournament this season. Durant’s RVC opener is on Thursday, August 30 against Mid-Prairie. Home matches with Mid-Prairie, Tipton, West Liberty and Northeast wait on the conference schedule. The Wildcats annual match with Wilton will be on September 25 in Wilton.

All-Conference Picks in 2017: Kamryn Meyer - RVC South Divisional Team; Ruby Kappeler - RVC South Divisional Team; Aubrin Dittmer - honorable mention team.

Graduated from 2017: Sierra Gregoire, Emily Seligman, Amanda Wiese, Lauren Ralfs, Kaitlyn Wiese, Jalyn Bullard.

Back From 2017 (10): Aubrin Dittmer, Ruby Kappeler, Hannah Happ, Annie Taylor, Kira Schult, Paige Werthmann, Jada Rock, Meg Koenig, Mallory Warner, Kamryn Meyer.

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