Indians look to make their move

Five starters return and plenty of experience remains on a Clarke volleyball team that looks forward to bringing a newfound energy to work every day.

Three seniors are gone, with LeeAnn Helgevold and Lexy Carson representing big losses.

The Indians bring back five starters in Deseree Stubbe, Megan Linskens, Cady Crawford and CeJay Blakely, as well senior Chynna Beydler.

Stubbe is the returning Indians leader in kills with 91, blocks with 38 and posted a .906 serving efficiency.

Crawford and Beydler are the lone two returning players on Clarke’s roster with more than 100 digs, while Linskens added 95.

Marker’s 88 assists are the most for any returning Indian.

Other seniors Hayley Gilbert, Sydney Sickels and Sidney Marker all put in time on the court a year ago, though Marker was the lone individual among those four to be a primary player.

“A lot of those are juniors and seniors and I think that is going to help a lot because they have stepped up and they know the routine from last year,” Clarke first-year coach Molly Jackson said.

Jackson (class of 2008), moves from junior varsity coach to varsity head coach, while now former coach Christa Subbert becomes Jackson’s assistant.

Sidney Marker is back as a setter, while Stubbe and Blakely will work as middle hitters.

Gilbert is pencilled in to work some on the right side, while Crawford, Linskens and Gilbert can rotate in on the left.

Digging up the volleyball from the floor will be Ashlynn Oehlert at libero, while Sickels will work as a defensive specialist in the back row.

Jackson is looking to replicate the success that the program had when she played for the Indians by changing the culture and instituting new work habits.

“We’re all one. We have to be that way to get the end goal in mind, which is winning,” Jackson said. “Having a growth mindset. Getting that positive feedback and then growing from it. I always tell them if you’re not getting feedback, that’s not a good thing. If you’re getting constant feedback regardless if you think you’re  amazing, it’s still good feedback. Everybody can be critiqued in one way or another.”

Just one way that the Indians will look to improve is to implement new techniques and shore up existing skills. They’re setting goals for individuals each day in practice.

Jackson wants every one of her players to learn to jump serve this season.

“We’ve learned a lot of new techniques this year and they’ve (upperclassmen) taken charge of that and put a positive spin on it that these might be uncomfortable,” Jackson said. “We need to start being comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

For now, the goal is to take an experienced squad that went 4-17 and turn it into a strong South Central Conference contender.

The Indians were last in the conference with zero wins and last in kills, 360, and assists, 303.

Improving every day will be necessary for the Indians to make up ground.