CG-Belgium shows net improvement

The Cedar Grove-Belgium High School volleyball team ended its season the way it began, with a loss to talented rival Oostburg, but last month’s playoff match-up was a better showing.

The No. 6-seeded Rockets lost, 25-12, 25-11, 25-18, to the No. 3-seeded Lady Dutch.

“We improved a lot. Oostburg is a very good team, but we still had some really wonderful plays against them, something we need to build on,” first-year coach Sharon Stellwagen said.

Senior Kayla Speaks led the Rockets with eight kills. Senior Clare Jaworski had nine assists.

Junior Kaylee Cherney had 17 digs, and Ava Nagorsen and Jessica Sutryk each had eight. Speaks had five.

Stellwagen said Cherney did a great job digging and Schmitz played well at the net.

“She’s got an unbelievable sense for the block,” she said.

The Rockets missed the last portion of the season due to Covid-19, and they scheduled one match after the playoffs and made up another that was postponed to give the team more chances to play.

On Oct. 27, the Rockets pulled out a home match against St. Francis, 25-19, 25-19, 20-25, 22-25, 15-13.

The Rockets jumped out to a big lead in the fifth game. St. Francis battled back but “we had those extra points, so that helped us keep that extra edge,” Stellwagen said.

After the Rockets took a two-game lead, Stellwagen said she thinks they relaxed.

“They’re not used to being up a lot,” she said.

Stellwagen credited St. Francis, which hadn’t won a game all season, for fighting until the end.

Emilie Beaudry had nine kills, and Speaks and Allie Wolff each had six. Sydney Soerens and Tara Schmitz each had four.

Jaworski, Wolff and Schmitz each served three aces.

Cherney had 30 digs. Jaworski and Abby Te Stroete each had 14, and Nagorsen had 11. Jaworski had 26 assists.

Stellwagen said Cherney’s digs were big, and Wolff’s kills and serving were timely.

On Oct. 29, the Rockets lost at Elkart Lake-Glenbeulah, 25-21, 25-11, 25-14, in a makeup match.

The finished the season 2-11 overall and 1-3 in the Big East Conference.

While the season was bizarre for the veteran coach who has experience leading boys, girls and college teams, Stellwagen said, “I couldn’t have asked for a better group to take this journey with.

They just were absolutely wonderful. I kept telling them they are among top three teams I’ve ever coached.

They were respectful of each other and our opponents on and off the court, got along well and they soaked up as much as I could give them.”
Stellwage said she hopes the seniors — Beaudry, Jaworski, Soerens, Speaks and Te Stroete — who set the tone of acceptance for everyone have started a trend that the juniors continue next season.

“The whole team really have gotten stronger and improved a lot over the time period that we’ve had,” Stellwagen said.

“I’m very encouraged for next year that we start at that point and get more consistent at what we’re doing.”