The Lake Land College (LLC) volleyball team ended their 2022 season with 18 wins to 18 losses. However, they did have a strong start to this season. Early in the season, Laker volleyball had a 10 win streak before two of their starters suffered injuries in Sept.

After losing two of their starters, they had to adapt by having their libero, the back row defense, play the outside position, the lead attacker. To combat similar problems of having someone out, Volleyball Coach Ashli Wicker is looking to have her recruitment of players be overall well-rounded athletes and not just be good at volleyball. 

Wicker described what she is looking for in players as “a combination of high academics, a student athlete that wants to come to Lake Land, and I think that is going to fit well with our program, and then hopefully when they show up in August, they all get along.”

Even though the season ended equal, 18-18, that does not mean it did not have its fair share of accomplishments. Madison Watret, libero, surpassed her 1000 career digs or defensive passes. Watret was a COVID sophomore, so this is her third year on the volleyball team; however, Coach Wicker proudly stated, “Usually people don’t get that [1000 digs]. It’s about right for a libero to get it during this time, but a lot of people don’t do that until their senior year.” Wicker is glad to have had the opportunity to have a player another year because, at the junior level, it is rare to have a student athlete pass a significant part in their volleyball career. Wicker cheerily said, “It’s just kinda cool!”

Other achievements from this season include Madison Watret, who earned First Team All-Region 24, and Gabyrela Castro de Jesus and Brianna Hewing, who achieved Second Team All-Region 24. Coach Wicker said, “Finishing it [the season] strong was probably the major highlight, and finishing with everybody back.”

The following are the end-season stats for the athletes:

Num. Name Pos. K B D A

2 Ayriana Adams-Pender OH 182 44 147 1

3 Madison Watret DS 16 4 437 24

5 Kelsi Geltz DS 2 0 269 38

6 Brianna Hewing MH 176 91 83 9

7 Anna Morton MB 169 102 32 33

8 Mackinzee Reynolds OH 219 53 312 4

9 Leah Erbentraut S 49 2 295 489

10 Vanessa Freitas OH – – – –

11 Xylia Greeson S 28 18 251 498

12 Abby Kallis S 5 0 226 26

14 Ivy Ayers MH 0 0 66 0

15 Gabyrela Castro de Jesus OH 278 21 324 7

18 Devon Patrick MH 130 56 53 1