At the halfway point of the 2024 girls volleyball season, Minnetonka is still hopeful of reaching the annual goal of 20 wins.
It will take some doing since the Skippers stood 6-8 through their first 14 matches. But head coach Karl Katzenberger is still optimistic.
“We have played eight of the top 10 teams in the state so far,” he said after a quick win over Buffalo in a Lake Conference match Sept. 26. The Skippers used their height advantage to overwhelm the Bison in three straight sets 25-12, 25-15, 25-8. The overall margin of 75 points to 35 was the Skippers’ largest of the season.
Coach Katzenberger singled out his leading hitter, Hannah Jackson, and setter Aubrey Johnson for making the night go smoothly.
“Hannah is a very strong two-way player,” he said. “When she is in the back row, that gives us four hitters to play against three blockers. We lean a lot on Hannah and Aubrey. It was a fun night for the team because we won and everyone had a chance to play.
“Getting 20 wins would require a herculean effort,” Katzenberger observed. “There are so many good teams. Participation is higher and the sport has exploded in popularity.”
Katzenberger is focused more on the next match than he is on milestones, but it is notable that five more victories will put him at 400 for his career. His head coaching career began at Armstrong before he accepted the position at Minnetonka 15 years ago.
Addressing the inevitable 400th win, Katzenberger said, “We have had fantastic players in the Minnetonka program along with support from the administration and the community and a good infrastructure.”
Next for the Skippers is a nonconference match against Lakeville South at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at Lakeville South High School.
Minnetonka has finished its conference matches with a 4-2 record and will finish no lower than third in the final standings. St. Michael-Albertville needs one more win to win an undisputed Lake championship. Wayzata currently holds second place.
Lake volleyball standings
St. Michael-Albertville 5-0, Wayzata 4-1, Minnetonka 4-2, Eden Prairie 2-3, Edina 2-3, Hopkins 1-4, Buffalo 0-5.
Local News
Comments / 0