Pratt Community College volleyball looks to be a scrappy and athletic team going into the 2017 season. With head coach Jenny Mueller's first recruiting class joining the squad, the team has a solid mix of sophomore leadership with incoming freshmen talent. The 2017 team is a competitive group anxious to end camp and begin competition.

"Preseason was long but effective," Mueller said. "We divided up into small groups for several sessions. A lot of training, trying to cram a lot of information from two semesters into three weeks. I feel like the players were focused. They played hard, putting in extra reps and effort on their side during down time. I'm pleased with that. My opinion right now is that the commitment level seems very high. Work ethic seems very high. I'm continuing to push them to be mentally focused in practice. With that standard set, I feel the expectation is there and we are going to follow suit."

A solid group of sophomores provide the Beavers with leadership and experience at their core. Three of the returners saw significant playing time during the 2016 season with two more having a year of experience in the system.

"I'm excited about the group that is coming back," Mueller said. "I have three players that started and played quite a bit last year. Taylor Groen-Younger is our returning setter. We ran a 6-2 with us last year. This season, we are looking to run a 5-1. Allison Rose is a six rotation, multi-position player. She didn't leave the court very often and provides a solid foundational piece for us this year. Lexi Schamberger returns in her second season with volleyball after competing for two seasons with basketball. She has a wealth of knowledge and maturity that she is going to bring to the table. The other two sophomores that we have are experienced additions to the squad. Bailey Batman trained with us in the spring and has spent a good deal learning the ques and the feedback and what we train. Excellent hard worker. Great learner. Gaining knowledge base and volleyball IQ. Kwanza Jones is a returner as well, after redshirting her freshmen year. She did a lot of development on her own. As a redshirt you have limited court time. I feel she did a nice job in the offseason with track and her other responsibilities. She has developed quite a bit and is still learning the volleyball IQ side of things."

The incoming freshmen have a competitive drive that will see many making significant contributions for the Blue and White in the 2017 season.

"As far as the freshmen we have coming in, defensively we have two players competing for the libero position in Paige Brown and Gabrielle Ediger," Mueller said. "I'm excited about those two and the work they are putting in. On the offensive side, Stephanie Reichenberger has joined us from here in Pratt. She is a multi-position player and is undersized, but a super athletic player coming in competing and fighting hard. She is learning volleyball IQ and asking questions along the way. Brooke Menhusen is from Bell Plain. She is a multi-position player as well. She has a lot of experience in the middle so we are expanding her role. She is going to take on a little more than a middle blockers position. I think she is doing a nice job there. Jordan Jones out of Arlington, TX is one of our taller players on the outside. She is going to expand and do a little bit more at both pins with possibly a rotation in the middle. She is quick with a heavy hand and solid volleyball IQ as well. Naomi Warren comes to PCC from Springfield, MO. She has had experience with every position but setter. Her court awareness is very strong. Her court presence is even stronger. She is vocal on the court helping to direct traffic and look for weaknesses on the opponent and communicate effectively with her own team. She does a very nice job. She is a good glue player. Marissa Dedrick is a setter from Colorado. She is solid and quick with her setting skills. She's still working to gain a grasp of our offense. Magesty Fairley is a middle blocker from Atlanta, GA. She had good height and is very springy. She has good block hands. We are working on refining some of her form and technique to expand what she is able to do. Brooke Theis is another Pratt native. She is a good solid six rotation player. She is gaining in volleyball IQ as far as what our offense requires. Defensively, she covers the court well. She is pretty solid in serve receive. She passes the ball well. She's got good power on her attack, and I think she'll continue to develop."

This season will see the PCC volleyball team with a lot of fight and hustle. Their blue collar, hardworking attitude will carry onto the court.

"Overall, we are pretty athletic," Mueller said. "That's the common threat among everybody. We are also pretty competitive. That has been exciting and a big addition from last year's squad. Everybody seems to be on the same page and we are all pushing in the same direction. We are pushing each other in the same direction. One thing you will see out of us for sure is athleticism and scrappiness and playing for the same goal. We are going to be undersized, but I kind of like the undersized player. They can do more things with their body because they know they are going to have to jump higher on every ball. They know they have to give full effort on every ball because they've always had to work hard for everything that they've gotten. I think that is going to be a common theme with our group too. You're going to see some all-out effort in every single play because all they know is high gear. I'm anxious to see what they are able to produce."

PCC volleyball begins the 2017 season on the road at the Quiznos Classic hosted by Lamar College. After the classic, the Blue and White open up in the Dennis Lesh Sports Arena against Cloud Community College on Aug. 30. First serve from the Beaver Dome is set for 6:30 p.m.