Brainerd Volleyball Ready To Take The Next Step In 2019

After finishing last year with a program-record 23 wins, the Brainerd Warrior volleyball team now has a taste of success and wants even more in 2019.

“They want to win and they want to learn and that’s the best part, they are learning all the time and they are doing a good job and they are bringing up the younger kids, these kids play hard, we make mistakes, but we don’t dwell on mistakes,” said Brainerd volleyball head coach Rick Kuehlwein.

Some of those mistakes may happen early in the year, but as the 2019 team motto states, “it is not how you start, but how you finish.”

“Last year we started off really strong we had like 20-some wins, and then we got to sections and we fell apart, we didn’t play our best game when we needed to,” said Brainerd volleyball senior outside hitter Avery Eckman.

“If we lose a game at the beginning of the season, it doesn’t really matter, it’s how we finish going to state; we want to end up there, so right now it doesn’t really matter how we’re playing as long as we are improving,” said Brainerd volleyball senior middle hitter Delaney Schaeffer.

The Brainerd volleyball team improved this summer in Orlando, Florida, where a group played in AAU nationals and finished in the top-third in their division.

“They get that extra experience of living together and playing together and being gone from home for like a week on end and it pays dividends,” said Kuehlwein.

“Going to Florida really helped us because we knew we could play with the higher levels,” said Schaeffer.

This year, the Warriors will rely on their talented upperclassmen and explosive offense.

“We have good senior leadership, Avery Eckman is committed to playing at the next level and she’s got a scholarship and Delaney Schaeffer can certainly play at the next level, said Kuehlwein.

“Our offense is really strong, we just have to get the pass and the set to get it there, but once we have that could pass or set, we can really finish,” said Brainerd volleyball senior libero Gracie Rivard.

The Warriors are 1-1 on the season so far and will host Sauk Rapids-Rice tomorrow night at seven.