I forgot to mention last night a conversation I had with the NL-S head coach, Gina Macik, who is in her 3rd season leading the Wildcats volleyball program. I mentioned that her team should do some damage in Section 6AA, but she relayed the fact that they have been moved to Section 3AA. That section includes perennial Class AA state title contender Marshall Area. Fortunately the Tigers are in the south sub-section, so at least the Wildcats have a shot at a sub-section title. If they got that far, you never know what could happen in the playoffs.
Marshall is currently 13-3 and ranked #1 on the QRF scale in Class AA. They are two-time defending state champions.
As fun as it is to beat NL-S in volleyball, I can't say such things without mentioning how I look at it as a friendly border rivalry. I know many classy fans and coaches at NL-S, including former Brooten Buccaneers stand out athlete Dan Essler. He's currently the head football coach at NL-S.
I also had a nice chat with Wildcats head girls' basketball coach Mike Dreier, who watched the last two games last night while visiting with Melrose girls' basketball coach Chris Anderson. (Anderson is the husband of B-B-E C-squad volleyball coach Kristina Anderson, also the B-B-E head girls' basketball coach.)
Coach Dreier took notice of how tall Olive is. I grinned at him and said, "She's got the makings of a good basketball player...maybe you'll be coaching against her some day?"
He's been head coach at NL-S since 1976, so that's not likely.
