MONROE — The Cheesemakers opened the conference season Aug. 31 with a 3-set loss to Mount Horeb, which was an honorable mention-ranked team in the first week of the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association Division 2 poll. The Vikings won 25-19, 25-19, 25-17.
“The biggest thing (we) can take away from this was just the small things,” said first-year coach Cassie Wittman. “It was a huge step up from our tournament on Saturday. I saw a team that came together; I saw energy; I saw enthusiasm; I saw ‘want’ — that they want to play this game and win. I think that’s the biggest thing right now is fixing the little things.”
Plaguing Monroe all night were service errors and hitting errors from the setter position. A former setter herself, Wittman knows she has to work with her squad, which is for the most part inexperienced at the varsity level.
“They haven’t had much time to play together. We have one person with varsity experience — so basically six new people. Getting used to each other; learning each other; trusting each other — those are the big things,” Wittman said.
In the opening set, the Cheesemakers took a 9-6 lead after a pair of aces from senior Kyla Ziolkowski, the team captain. The Vikings countered with a 9-2 run of their own, leading to Wittman calling a timeout with her team quickly behind 15-11.
But service and setting errors hurt Monroe more than the Cheesemakers could overcome. The host school ended the opening frame with five service errors and four setting errors — giving the Vikings nine points.
“The biggest thing is the simple things mechanically. All three of my setters have never really been taught those true mechanics — their footwork, where their hands need to be and extended placement-wise,” Wittman said. “We’re trying to work on that every single day, because that’s what it takes to get the ball down on the other side of the net. We have to help them grow and learn about their mistakes so that we way can learn how to adjust their body, accommodate their body for that.”
In the second set, the two teams were squared away at 15 before Mount Horeb closed on a 10-4 run.
To open the third set, the Vikings jumped out to a 6-1 lead, and later held a 17-9 advantage, leading to another Monroe timeout. After a short 4-point spurt cut the deficit in half at 17-13, the Vikings closed the set on an 8-4 run.
“I haven’t found that answer yet, and I don’t think any of our girls have an answer yet of how to break through whatever this barrier is of why we are getting stuck,” Wittman said. “Hopefully they can reflect on this, be mindful and learn and grow from this and so that way they can come away from it thinking ‘How can I change? How can I get better and make this team better?”
Elly Wild led Monroe with six kills, Ziolkowski had five and Taylor Broge three. Lydia Butler had two blocks.
In all, the Cheesemakers gave up nearly 30 points in the contest on errors, including 15 from the service line and 10 passing errors.
Up next for the Cheesemakers is a Sept. 7 quad at Oregon against Edgewood and Mount Horeb. Monroe is back in action two days later at Baraboo, then spends Sept. 11 at the Brodhead Invitational, which features 10 teams total, including Albany, Argyle, Pecatonica, Juda, New Glarus, Evansville, Beloit Turner and Mineral Point.
