Winning this national championship was a lot more stressful for Lindsay Wischmeier-Peterson than the one she won in college.
The former Husker captain, part of Nebraska's 2000 title team, led the Nebraska Juniors 16-and-under team to a USA volleyball girls junior national championship last weekend in Reno, Nev.
The Nebraska juniors went 9-1 in the open division and clinched the title by defeating the Dallas Skyline 21-25, 25-18, 15-11 in the final.
“This is probably the first tournament we played together as a team every game,'' Wischmeier-Peterson said. “We had some key players step up. It kind of all fell into place.''
Nebraska recruit Kadie Rolfzen was named the tournament MVP. Her sister Amber, also a Husker recruit, was chosen for the all-tourney team as was Kelly Hunter. All three play for Papillion La-Vista South.
The Nebraska Juniors played four great matches heading into the finals, Wischmeier-Peterson said, so she wasn't fazed when her squad trailed after the first game. She blamed some hitting and service errors on being too excited.
Middle hitters Cassie Effken and Lauren Smith of Lincoln Pius X had some huge kills and blocks at key points in the championship match, Wischmeier-Peterson said, and that kept the Dallas team from focusing on the team's strong outside attack. She also praised the play of libero Lea Sack, also of Pius.
Wischmeier-Peterson, who played at NU from 1999 through 2002, has been the director of operations for the Huskers since 2006. She is eligible to coach a select team because she's not a part of the NU coaching staff.
The Nebraska Juniors entered the tournament ranked fifth after finishing third in national qualifiers in Kansas City and St. Louis. They also won a big tournament in Chicago at the end of May.
Wischmeier-Peterson expected her team to do well, although some mental lapses at times had cost the Nebraska Juniors earlier in the season.
The team began practicing together in January, but with several three-sport athletes in the lineup, it wasn't until school got out that many on the team could focus exclusively on volleyball.
Wischmeier-Peterson said she started seeing the progress she wanted in Chicago. Getting so far at the qualifiers helped the girls realize what it would take to win.
“We understood that we had to be low error and play at a high level,'' Wischmeier-Peterson said. “We couldn't take points off.''
The coach said it was a thrill to see the celebratory dogpile when her team clinched the title. Some players cried, but their coach just gave a sigh of relief.
“Coaching is a whole different viewpoint,'' she said. “It's much easier as a player than a coach. You feel in control on the court as a player. As a coach, you don't have any control, period. It's all in the hands of some 16-year-olds, and that's a little stressful.''
But still rewarding, she said, in a different way.
“It put a smile on my face to see the excitement on the players' faces,'' she said. “It was a great volleyball match. Really fun to watch and be involved in.''
Members of the Nebraska Juniors:
Setters: Lauren Sieckmann, Omaha Marian; Kelly Hunter, Papillion-LaVista South. Middle hitters: Cassie Effken, Lincoln Pius X; Lauren Smith, Lincoln Pius X; Madison Millikan, Milford. Outside hitters: Kadie Rolfzen, Papillion-LaVista South; Amber Rolfzen, Papillion-La Vista South; Scarlett Howerter, Lincoln Southeast. Defensive specialists/libero: Lea Sack, Lincoln Pius X; Molly Pettit, Omaha Marian. Rightside hitter: Natalie Minchow, Louisville.
River City Juniors third in 18-under
The River City Juniors placed third in the National Division's gold division for 18-and-under players at the USA volleyball girls junior national championship last weekend in Reno, Nev.
Team members are Michelle Pettit, Ashley Hasebroock, Ali Jansen, Christa McCaw, Emily Olsen, Annie Benson, Kathryn Wright, Courtney Cook, Andrea Spaustat and Savannah Smith.
They are coached by Deb Grafentin.
Contact the writer:
444-1034, marjie.ducey@owh.com
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