By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Southeast of Saline volleyball team is 8-10 entering the final few weeks of their regular season, and has already eclipsed their win total from a year ago.
The Trojans have looked solid so far despite losing a big senior class, and that success was punctuated by a 3-0 pool play record at the Lyons Invitational that included a win over 12-1 Little River.
“That was really exciting for us and it was great to see our girls gain some confidence,” SES head coach Ashley Gilpin said. “We’re definitely happy with the production we’ve gotten and every time we step on the floor we get a little bit better.”
With just five matches left on the schedule, SES still has a chance to end their season with a winning record and to take a significant step up in their league from a year ago.
“If we play up to our potential I really believe we can win the rest of our league games and I think our girls believe that too,” Gilpin said.
After losing so many players a season ago, Southeast has had to find new stars on this team, and the young core has delivered.
Sophomore Lexi Jacobson leads the team with 137 kills and has worked all around the rotation, currently sitting in second on the team with 205 digs.
Facilitating much of the attack has been senior Karsyn Schlesener and sophomore Brielle Ptacek, who have combined for 355 assists this season.
Freshman Macy Bunch has been a welcome addition as well, leading the team with ten blocks and providing a spark to the Southeast lineup.
Despite an improved 2021 campaign, SES is still focused on making a few final improvements throughout the home stretch of the season.
“The two things we need to improve to up our game are communication and blocking,” Gilpin said. “We need to be noisier on the floor during games and we need to get more touches on the ball to give our back row a chance.”
The Trojans will be back in action this weekend for the Concordia Volleyball Invitational with pool play beginning on Saturday.
For more on the SES volleyball team in 2021 stay tuned to the Salina Post.