Meet and Greet C-1 Nebraska State Volleyball: Norfolk Catholic
Four seasons ago, with one senior on the team, Norfolk Catholic struggled with a 6-24 record. Many of the girls on this team saw early varsity action as underclassmen. And then Michaela (Barry) Bellar, fresh out of playing basketball in…
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Continue ReadingFour seasons ago, with one senior on the team, Norfolk Catholic struggled with a 6-24 record. Many of the girls on this team saw early varsity action as underclassmen. And then Michaela (Barry) Bellar, fresh out of playing basketball in college, returned to Norfolk Catholic and converted into a head volleyball coach.
In her second year, Coach Bellar says the game slowly started to come back. She surrounded herself with volleyball and coaching knowledge. Assistants Sean Wickham and Alex Pieper help from the bench. But she also commends father-in-law Jeff Bellar and Tim Kassmeier for being great mentors with being a new, young coach.
At 23-6 this season and the #7 seed, all of the Knights’ losses have come to teams playing at state in Class C-1 or C-2. They will face #2 seed Wahoo (28-3) in the first round of the Nebraska Class C-1 State Tournament on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Lincoln North Star. A win puts them in a semifinal match against #3 seed Lincoln Lutheran or #6 seed Chadron at 3:00 on Friday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The road to state was not easy for the Knights. Middle hitter junior Mary Fennessey went down with a season ending knee injury during a sub-district loss to #7 seed Battle Creek (28-5). The Knights prevailed with a wild card draw that lead to a 3-1 win over Southern Valley (23-6) in the district finals. Sophomore Jozy Piper stepped in to fill the vacant middle hitter role.
With a core group of upper classmen this season, the players prepared for the upcoming season with a day at a family cabin going tubing, tie-dying shirts, roasting marshmallows, talking about a theme for the year, and what goals they had. “Iron sharpens iron” became the theme and it is here that the Knights decided to add a trip to state on the list.
Mary Fennessy – Junior, MH, 2018 Class C-1 Honorable Mention, 157 kills, 141 blocks
Abby Miller– Senior, MH, 2018 Class C-1 Honorable Mention, 163 kills, 157 blocks
Hayden Wolf – Senior, OH, 2018 Class C-1 Honorable Mention, 282 kills, 51 ace serves, 357 digs, 623 serve receptions
Chanattee Robles– Freshman, OH, 264 kills, 58 blocks, 296 digs, 298 serve receptions
Carly Marshall -Junior, S, 96.6% serving, 49 blocks, 248 digs, 805 assists
Hannah Wilcox– Senior, RS, 82 blocks
Jozy Piper– Sophomore, MH, 4 kills, 6 blocks in 10 sets of action
Anna Neuhalfen – Junior, DS, 184 digs
Taylor Kautz– Junior, L , 333 digs, 306 serve receptions
The competitive spirit will be high in Lincoln this weekend! But, really, it all comes down to these young ladies being great stewards of the sport and we appreciate them for that. Volleyball proves to be a big part of their life, but read on and you might learn a little more about these athletes. Their ever-thinking minds are amazing!
Lets meet the team:
If you could mic up anyone on your team who would it be and what would they say?
Mary – I would mic up our right side, Anna Neuhalfen. She is just hilarious and says the most random things. She would say “Let’s Go!” a thousand times and will always hype the team up by saying whatever comes to her mind.
Hayden – Chanatee Robles because she’s always so quiet and I would love to hear literally anything come out of her mouth
What does coach tell you to do time after time?
Mary – They always tell me to press on my blocks and talk more. It is their job to tell me what I need to fix, but it’s my job to fix it right away.
Hayden – press on the block!
Favorite go to app and why
Mary – Snapchat. It is the easiest way to talk to my friends.
Hayden – Snapchat because I can talk to anyone
Pregame superstitions
Mary – Freaking out because I forgot something. If I didn’t forget something I get worried.
Hayden – How I do my hair
Pregame music
Mary – Anything Hanna Montana
Hayden – It changes every time?
How many pictures do you take of yourself with your phone a day?
Mary – Probably around 200 on snapchat.
Hayden –At least 50
Has anyone asked for your autograph?
Mary – Yes
Hayden – No
Who was your volleyball role model and why?
Mary – Mikayla Foecke. She is a confident hitter and works hard on the court.
Hayden – I remember watching Kelsey Robinson for the huskers and I’ve always looked up to Mikayla Foecke
Favorite drill in practice
Mary – Hitting off a box.
Hayden – World Series drill
Least favorite drill in practice
Mary – Wendy’s.
Hayden – Box passing
What other sports do you participate in high school?
Mary – Basketball, Club Volleyball, Track
Hayden – Basketball, Soccer
Do you plan to play volleyball in college?
Mary – Maybe
Hayden – Maybe
Your favorite inspirational quote or make one up and take the credit for it!
Mary – Control what you can control.
Is your dad oblivious to the rules of volleyball? What is the best advice your dad has given you?
Mary – Yes, Play Hard
Hayden – No
What have you worked on extra hard this year to improve your volleyball skills?
Mary – Being a smart and controlled hitter.
Hayden – My vertical
GOOD LUCK TO THE NORFOLK CATHOLIC KNIGHTS THIS WEEK!!