B-B-E Jaguars volleyball geared for another section title run - they open Friday night in Sauk Centre

This year's edition of Jaguars volleyball will be built around the talents of senior hitter Maggie Gruber. They open the season on Friday night (Aug. 27) at Sauk Centre in a non-conference, rivalry match.

Though they have regularly played with a target on their backs since their first state tournament berth in 2005, the B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team has faced immense regular season pressure throughout that period and regardless of how hard they are hit by graduation, they keep churning out wins in workhorse fashion. After facing heavy graduation losses in 2009, last year's edition of Jaguars volleyball fired on all cylinders to win a fourth straight Central Minnesota Conference title while compiling a 24-5 regular season record.

The Jaguars charged into playoffs and won a sub-section title for the sixth year in a row with a convincing performance over Bertha-Hewitt before falling to a red hot Nevis squad to finish 27-6, good for the third-most wins in B-B-E history. Nevis went on to win the Class A state consolation title.

This year's team will be led by third-year starter Maggie Gruber, who was the Sauk Valley Player of the Year in 2009, along with third-year starting setter Julie Hieserich, who passed the 1,000-set assist mark in her career at the Bethel Showcase Invitational last September. Both are seniors whose efforts will be bolstered by returning hitters Shyan Kuefler, a junior, and sophomores Taylor Braegelman and Brittany Roelike, who all had key roles in last year's success during their first year on varsity. Ashley Kirckof is a third senior who will enter her second year on the varsity roster.

Junior Brittany Winter will serve as libero. Junior Raeann Sorenson, who was the libero last year, has been moved to hitter in her third year of varsity action. Five other juniors who are new to the varsity lineup, Kim Kollman, Morgan Geer, Megan Rodgers, and Amy Bast, bolster the lineup with new talent. A second sophomore, Tia Halvorson, rounds out the varsity lineup that totals 13.

Fourth-year head coach Kevin Weller (85-14, 21-0 CMC, 12-5 playoffs) returns with assistant coaches Amanda Primus (third year) and Ashley Hart (first year).

Nothing less than a five-peat is what the Jaguars aim for in the Central Minnesota Conference, as the team has won every league match since September 28, 2006 - a streak of 24 straight wins in the CMC. Pierz will be the main challenger in the conference. Kimball, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, and Holdingford will also provide challenges for the Jaguars in their quest for B-B-E's 10th conference title in volleyball.

Upsala and Bertha-Hewitt will provide challenges for the Jaguars in Sub-Section 5A-South, while Nevis and Sebeka will be a factor in who wins the section title in November.

• It all begins on Friday night, when the Jaguars make the short trip north into Mainstreeter country where they will face a loaded, veteran Sauk Centre team that has its own eyes on winning a conference title and making a state tournament run.

The B- and C-squad matches start at 6:00pm, with the varsity match to follow at 7:30.

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