Patriots off to a strong start | Select

And they did all this not with full force, but with less force.

“It was great to come out with a win in the Centennial tournament,” said coach Becky Schneider, who is in her 13th season. “The girls came out and played really well, and then following that up with a win against Howells-Dodge was just as good. They’re playing well.”

A strong core of players returns from last year’s 34-2 Class C2 state runner-up squad, but it’s obvious Clarkson/Leigh has a different look following the graduation of four-year starter Chloe Hanel, the 2023-24 Daily News girls athlete of the year.

Schneider said he likes the chemistry this team has had so far and the fact that they are “not afraid to make mistakes.” “They are there to support each other and to back each other up. They are competitive, so they are not going to get rattled if we are down a few points. They are going to take it point by point. Their desire to win is obvious.”

A strong summer helped Clarkson/Leigh prepare for the season, including competing in the Class A/B/C1 division of the annual top 10 exhibition at Kearney.

“We went in A/B/C1 (division), it was inevitable that we would go to C1 this year,” Schneider said. “But we did it last year too. (The show) is about taking them out of their comfort zone and putting them under that pressure just to see how they handle it and how they react.

“They responded really well. We finished in the top 10 in the gold group, so that was really nice to see. To see them carry that into our season, it exceeded our expectations.”

Senior middle hitter Baylee Settje leads the team with three kills per set so far this season, posting a .358 hitting percentage. She is closely followed by sophomore middle hitter Maizie Stoklasa (2.9 kills, .324).

Senior Izabel Hollatz (4.8 assists per set) and junior Kendall Schneider (4.1) again share the pass-setting duties, while sophomore Ella Baumert tops the team with 3.4 digs per set.

Baumert has been a pleasant surprise for the Patriots, helping to offset the loss of veteran hitter Brynn Settje, who suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s jamboree game and hopes to return soon.

“(The injury) was definitely devastating, but it’s not season-ending,” Becky Schneider said. “She’s recovering nicely. But I have to give props to Ella Baumert for stepping up to take on that role. She really has no experience, obviously, being a sophomore.

“We didn’t get Ella in the starting 10. She didn’t perform with the varsity team. We made that decision (to put her on the varsity team) during the two-day practice week. She really put in the effort and worked hard that week in practice and earned that spot. It was kind of a done deal that she earned that (starting) spot when Brynn got hurt.”

The Patriots’ goals include making this season similar to the past few.

“We’re looking to continue our success,” Schneider said. “Obviously, we have a goal of winning our conference (Eastern Husker) again, maybe even being in the top three because our conference is always competitive. Then we want to be ranked high in our subregion, be substate and have the opportunity to get back to state.”

Clarkson/Leigh knows expectations for the program remain high

“This group understands that. They know what hard work gives you, and they definitely showed it,” Schneider said. “They’re hungry to come back. Not getting to a state championship definitely makes you want more, so these girls have the determination to do everything they can to get there.”

The preseason starters went a combined 17-2 in the first week, with one loss coming in a matchup between ranked teams and the other against a Class A opponent, so there’s no need to change anything.

No. 1 Pierce had two solid four-set tests against East Husker Conference competition in No. 8 Stanton and North Bend Central. The challenge continues for the Bluejays when they open Mid-State Conference play by hosting No. 5 Norfolk Catholic on Thursday.

No. 2 Clarkson/Leigh and No. 3 Battle Creek lead the season win totals with five wins each. For the Bravettes, they once again face Class A competition in the Omaha North invitational. Battle Creek finished second to preseason Class A-ranked Fremont after winning the tournament last year.

No. 4 seed Oakland-Craig swept Class D No. 5 seed Howells-Dodge in its only match, but things get exciting for the Knights this week with the annual Jean Groth Classic hosted by Pender and Wisner-Pilger.

No. 5 Norfolk Catholic got off to a solid start with a four-set win over Guardian Angels Central Catholic. Now the aforementioned match against Pierce awaits.

No. 6 Elgin Public/Pope John has lost just one set, beating Lutheran High Northeast and Burwell. The Wolfpack will face Class D No. 1 Stuart on Thursday as part of the Chambers/Wheeler Central trilateral.

No. 7 Crofton opened its season with a sweep of Hartington-Newcastle and will appear in the four-team Wynot tournament on Thursday.

No. 8 Stanton may be 0-1, but the Mustangs showed they’re for real, giving No. 1 Pierce all they could handle before falling 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 30-28. And now Stanton will face No. 2 Clarkson/Leigh on Thursday as part of the Madison triangle.

There wasn’t as much of a change as expected, with many of the preseason-ranked teams in this top eight taking heavy losses from graduating seniors last year.

No. 1 Stuart is not penalized for its loss to Class C1 Boone Central. The Broncos face a good test against Class C No. 6 EPPJ in the CWC triangle on Thursday.

No. 2 Cedar Catholic lost to Homer, a Class C2 team that got off to a 4-0 start. The Trojans will face other strong opponents from larger classes as part of the Columbus Scotus invitational on Saturday.

St. Mary’s remains in third place after a solid 3-0 start without showing any signs of slumping despite its talented seniors leaving. The Cardinals have yet to lose a set as they enter their home trio with No. 8 Plainview and Summerland on Thursday.

No. 4 Archangels Catholic has yet to officially take the field. The Defenders finally make their debut on Saturday when they host Nebraska Lutheran.

No. 5 Howells-Dodge is 3-2, but those losses came against Class C No. 2 Clarkson/Leigh and No. 4 Oakland-Craig.

No. 6 Wynot is off to a solid 2-0 start and hasn’t lost a set heading into Thursday’s four-team home tournament, which also features Class C No. 7 Crofton.

The only change from the preseason is at No. 7. Pender replaces Bloomfield after two straight wins. The Pendragons swept Class C1 opponent Logan View/Scribner-Snyder in five sets and will host the always competitive Jean Groth Classic this week.

Plainview remains ranked No. 8 despite a 2-3 start. The Pirates’ losses came to No. 1 seed Stuart, Class A opponent South Sioux City in five sets and Class C1 opponent Boone Central. They will face tougher opposition in Summerland at the St. Mary’s Triangle on Thursday.