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New conference, new faces no problem for Hastings volleyball

By BRYCE EVANS, Special to the Star Tribune, 10/04/14, 10:06PM CDT

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A new conference and lots of turnover hasn’t slowed the Hasting volleyball team’s success this year.


On September 30, 2014 in a game between South St. Paul and Hastings women's volleyball, the Raiders celebrate their straight set victory over the Packers .]Richard Tsong-Taatarii/rtsong- taatarii@startribune.com

 

Paige Ahrens is quick to acknowledge that she “had no idea” what her senior season was going to be like for herself and her Hastings volleyball teammates.

The unknowns included a conference change, from the Raiders’ traditional spot in the Suburban East to the newly formed Metro East. In addition, the Raiders’ roster significantly turned over, having graduated eight seniors from last year’s team and leaving lots of lineup holes to fill.

“We were coming from a really tough conference into a new one that we knew nothing about,” said Ahrens, one of the team’s three co-captains. “It was tough to get any sort of expectations figured out.”

But among all the change, the Raiders have relied on the one source of familiarity: each other. There are seven seniors on the team, as well as a number of juniors, and most of the girls have played together on one team or another since seventh grade.

That “chemistry and bond,” as coach Rita Girgen put it, is a big reason the Raiders have an impressive 10-4 record and sit alone in second place in the league standings at 6-1.

“We were definitely hopeful coming into this year, and thinking that we could be competitive with all the teams we play,” Girgen said. “I can’t say I really expected it, but the way these girls have stepped into [their roles] on varsity — they’ve played together for so long — it’s been pretty natural.”

The Raiders already have victories over former Suburban East rivals Stillwater and Cretin-Derham Hall, as well as a Metro East victory over a tough Hill-Murray team.

They’ve done it with a mix of athleticism and teamwork, senior outside hitter Sabrina Astar said. Astar first played varsity as a freshman, while most of her classmates slowly worked their way up through the program.

“This is the most athletic we’ve been, though,” Astar said. “We’re bigger and faster than before, and we have a lot of really smart players. We have people who really handle the ball and know what they’re doing on the court.”

“We just know where each other is going to be on the court,” Ahrens added. “We know each other’s strong points and our weak points, and we can always cover for each other and help each other out.”

Hastings had won six of its past seven games as of Wednesday. None of the Raiders’ players or coaches shy away from the team’s ultimate goal of reaching the Class 3A tournament. Girgen said her team will get a good look at where it stands at an upcoming tournament at St. Michael-Albertville.

Senior co-captain Aleaha Zabel likes the way her team has stacked up so far against competition. No matter the result, she envisions a strong ending to Hastings’ season.

“I hope that, when it’s over and we’ve played our last game, we can realize how much fun we’ve had and how great it was to achieve these goals together,” Zabel said.

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