LITTLE RIVER SPIKERS LOOK FOR TITLE #4

writingwithwilldur
Aug 21
4 min read

OLANDER, FELDMAN, LOOK, STRECKER LEAD POWERHOUSE LADY REDSKINS

By Staff

LITTLE RIVER – What does the Little River volleyball program do for an encore after winning three straight Class 1A Division I state titles – return an entire team, minus one role player, and make a run for title number four in a row!!!

After losing five all-state seniors from a 2023 team, last season hit a few early bumps, three in a row for that matter losing to Ellinwood, Hillsboro, and Cheney to start the 2024 season. After that the Lady Redskins locked in to prove they still had the capability to one of the best in the state and rattled of 40 wins to just three more loses to win title number three in row.

“I knew we had some talent coming back from the 2023 squad,” noted head coach Kim Rolfs. “I just was not sure how the pieces would come together and who would fill in the gaps lost in graduation. It took some time, but obviously we stayed confident and willing to build a great team.”

Coach Rolfs is in her 17^th season leading the Lady Redskin volleyball program and has gone 240-80 over that time. On the bench helping will be Jennifer Mantz and Grace Hendrickson.

The only player Little River loses to graduation from last season is Lu-Mey Hicks, a valuable role player who recorded 50 digs in 2024.

What returns is a player of the year, four Lady Redskins who earned both all-state and all-league honors plus one more with all-league mention.

The foundation of excellence is being built around players like senior Arika Feldman who not only earned both all-league and all-state honors, but was also named the player-of-the-year as she racked up 469 assists, 442 kills, 216 digs, 106 blocks and 52 aces in 103 sets played in 2024.

Havana Olander, a senior, earned both all-league and all-state honors as well after knocking down 81 aces, 394 kills, 52 blocks, and 309 digs last season. Olander did not play in her sophomore season yet in just two seasons she has recorded 531 kills, 116 aces, and 411 digs.

Evie Look, another senior, also earned both all-league and all-state honors as she recorded 43 aces, 638 assists and 245 digs. Look is within three assists of making 1,000 in her career.

Saelyn Raleigh is just a junior but gained all-league and all-state recognition for her play as a sophomore where she scored 33 aces, 324 kills, 83 blocks and 176 digs.

Adelynne Strecker, a senior libero, earned all-league honors after making 31 aces and 487 digs. Strecker has made 934 digs in her first three seasons.

“We are focused on reaching our potential and training each day to be the best versions of ourselves as players and a team,” pointed out coach Rolfs while reflecting on the up coming Lady Redskin season. “These girls, especially our seniors, have accomplished so much, and we are tremendously proud of what they have achieved, so the only thing I can expect from them is to continue to show the way for our younger kids and to work to be the best team we can possibly be.”

While senior Lucy Wright, Juniors Avery Lafferty and Kate Hendrickson plus sophomore Macy Schubert pitched in last season to record 141 kills and 89 blocks, the Lady Redskins will have thirteen other players looking to squeeze in some varsity time this season. These players include just two other juniors along with three sophomores and seven freshmen.

The younger players are juniors Rylee McAllister, and Abby Schroeder; sophomores Jodie Myers, Byntli Teeters, Destiny Miller, and Avery Goforth; along with freshmen Brooke White, Mia Bower, Eisley Ewertt, Dempsey Lafferty, Adrianna Petty, Lily Angel, and Kenzee Bengston.

Coach Rolfs concluded her pre-season thoughts by saying, “Wherever we finish, if we have done the things I already mentioned, then I will be extremely proud of what we have done for this program and the community of Little River itself. Each year, I have the seniors come up with a motto for the up coming season and this season the girls decided on this as their 2025 motto – ‘Honoring the Legacy. Creating Our Own.’ That sums up how they will carry themselves this season.”

The Little River spikers will open the 2025 season on Tuesday, September 2 hosting Hillsboro before going on the road Thursday, September 4 to Nickerson where they will tangle with Cheney as well.

2025 LADY REDSKIN VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, September 2 = hosting Hillsboro

Thursday, September 4 = at Nickerson Triangular with Cheney

Tuesday, September 9 = at Canton/Galva Quad with Peabody/Burns, Centre

Saturday, September 13 = at Centre Invitational

Tuesday, September 16 = at Goessel Quad with Canton/Galva, Elyria Christian

Thursday, September 18 = at Ellsworth

Tuesday, September 23 = at Canton/Galva

Saturday, September 27 = at Lyons Invitational

Tuesday, September 30 = hosting Quad with Canton/Galva, Remington, Rural Vista

Thursday, October 2 = hosting Inman

Saturday, October 4 = at Canton/Galva Invitational