Lancers enjoy perfect start to season

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

Seven up and seven down – that best describes the start of Lincolnview’s volleyball season.

With victories over Elida, Delphos St. John’s, Van Wert, Wayne Trace, Antwerp, Continental and Ottoville, the Lancers have raced out to a 7-0 record, making them the only undefeated team among Northwest Conference members. Even more impressive is the fact that Lincolnview hasn’t dropped a single set this season, leading head coach JaNahn Evans (13th season, 168-105) to say preparation, experience and team bonding have been big factors in the fast start.

“I don’t ever go into a match expecting a win, but I will make sure we are as prepared as we can possibly be when we step on the court,” Evans said. “I think our biggest strength right now is how well this team is playing together. They have really developed a strong bond and trust in one another and that has been huge for us.”

“They are also doing a much better job of not getting hung up on mistakes,” she added. “Errors are going to happen in volleyball, but they are learning to play the next ball, and that has made a big difference in how we compete.”

Often times it’s a senior-laden team that is a big factor and while the Lancers don’t have many seniors, Evans said the ones they do have on the squad have indeed led the way.

“Our three seniors, Kara Suever (6-2 opposite hitter), Brooklyn Byrne (6-1 middle hitter) and Aubrey Miller (5-2 defensive specialist) have been huge leaders for us,” Evans explained. “Kara and Brooklyn have been two of our leading hitters and have been big offensive and defensive weapons at the net. Aubrey has been an important part of our defense and brings a lot of experience and leadership to the court. Having those seniors leading this team has been really valuable.”

Underclassman on the team have also played a big role and Evans noted the Lancers have contributions coming from a lot of different players, which translates into not having to rely on just one player to win a match.

“Annabel Horstman (5-10 junior middle hitter) has also been one of our leading hitters and has been a big offensive and defensive weapon for us. Ansley Schwab (5-6 outside hitter) and Nora Linton (5-7 outside hitter) are both sophomores and are playing varsity for the first time, and they have really stepped up. They have become important contributors for us and are scoring a lot while also embracing everything that comes with playing at the varsity level. I have been really proud of how confidently they have stepped into those roles. Kara, Brooklyn, Annabel, Ansley, and Nora give us 5 strong attacking options at the net, and they have done a great job playing off of one another and creating different challenges for opposing defenses.”

“Makynlee Dickinson (5-9 junior setter) runs our offense and has done a great job finding the right matchups and giving our hitters good opportunities to score. She has done a great job distributing the ball and keeping our offense moving. Joey-Kate Carey runs our defense, and she is fearless in the back row. She is willing to go after everything, and that mentality is huge.”

In the season opener against Elida, Dickinson surpassed the 1,000 career assist mark.

Like any coach, Evans noted that while she’s pleased with what she’s seen from her squad, there’s always room for improvement.

“We want to continue minimizing our errors and becoming more efficient in every area of the game,” she said. “We need to continue getting better in serve and pass, defense and our offensive execution.”

“The biggest thing is consistency. We can make some really great plays, but we want to get to the point where we are making those plays consistently and putting ourselves in position to win more points. We have to continue learning from every match, cleaning up the little things and finding ways to maximize every opportunity we get. We’ve had a good start, but a good start doesn’t win you anything at the end of the season. We have to keep working and keep getting better.”

Lincolnview’s first seven matches were played in a span of just 13 days and the Lancers have been on a break since playing Ottoville on September 1. The main reason – the Van Wert County Fair.

“There is always a concern when you have a week without a match, but I also understand how important this week is to our athletes and our community,” Evans said. “The Van Wert County Fair is a huge part of where we live. Many of our girls have 4-H and FFA projects that they have worked on for an entire year. Others are involved in cheer, band, Junior Fair Board, working at the fair, or other activities. For many of them, the fair is something they have been looking forward to all year.”

“My own family shows at the fair, so I understand the amount of work, dedication, passion and love that goes into those projects,” she continued. “I want our athletes to know that we support them in those things. Balancing the fair and volleyball can be difficult, but I think it can absolutely be done with some support, communication, and grace. We still practice during the break, but this week also puts a little more responsibility on the athletes. They need to continue taking care of themselves like athletes: eating well, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep and taking care of their bodies. We want them to enjoy the fair and everything that comes with it, but we also need them to understand that we have a tough opponent waiting for us when we come back.

“We play (at) Kalida right after the break (this Thursday) and they are a very good team, so we will need to get right back into game mode.”

After Kalida (4-1), the Lancers will travel to Shawnee on Saturday, then will open NWC play against a familiar foe — county rival and five-time defending NWC champion Crestview. The Lady Knights haven’t lost a conference match since the 2021 season. 

“Our schedule is challenging,” Evans stated. “We play a lot of matches, sometimes multiple times in a week, which means there isn’t always a lot of time in the gym between opponents. That creates a different kind of toughness because you have to be able to compete, recover and then turn around and do it again.

“Volleyball is really strong all around us, and every opponent we play is going to bring their best,” she added. “We want to set the tone from the start focusing on controlling what we can control and playing our game with confidence and consistency.”

The last team to win a NWC volleyball title before Crestview – Lincolnview. The Lancers won outright championships in 2019 and 2020, and shared the title with Crestview and then-member Leipsic in 2021.