G-E-T opens season under new coach at Onalaska tourney

Coming off an 0-12 record in Coulee Conference play a year ago, the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau volleyball program is trying to establish a winning culture under new head coach Marc Baures starting this fall. While that’s obviously not a process that will happen overnight, the Red Hawks got their first opportunity to test their mettle with one of the state’s most notable early-season tournaments.

The Red Hawks went 3-4 overall to open the season at the Great River Sprawl last Wednesday and Thursday, hosted at Onalaska’s Omni Center and Dash Center.

G-E-T was tasked with starting its season with matches against a division one opponent (Green Bay Preble) and a team coming off a state tournament appearance (Wabeno/Laona), ultimately dropping three of its four matches on Wednesday. However, the Red Hawks rebounded to win two of three on Thursday.

“My goal was to evaluate different lineups for effectiveness and team chemistry, and from that standpoint, I was very satisfied with the tournament,” Baures said. “We were able to identify areas we will focus on in practice that should translate to improved play. From the players standpoint, I saw them become more aggressive in their play as the games went on. When errors were committed, there were few, if any, moments of frustration between players. Instead, I saw our girls support and encourage each other to keep trying to do amazing things. That is the beginning of a major change and I couldn’t be happier. In fact, I’m quite proud of them for how they took care of one another.”

Baures takes over a relatively young team, though one that does have a handful of returning players with prior varsity experience: outside hitter Amara Brantner, setter Taryn Leighty, setter/right-side hitter/libero Amelia Walz, defensive specialist/libero Tori Thoma, defensive specialist/libero Clara Schulze and right-side hitter Laela Schmitt.

Senior outside/right-side hitter Sydney Nelson, who suffered a major knee injury 11 months ago, is also returning to the court this fall.

“I feel the most important aspect of our first season together is building a new team culture which creates a family dynamic of trusting and caring for one another. Volleyball is a sport with tremendous highs and lows within the span of minutes on the court, so players being able to support each other and trust that they’ll have one another’s back is critical,” Baures said. “I expect my players to play aggressively and without fear of judgement for doing so. We’ve got two powerhouses in our conference in Luther and West Salem. To be competitive, we need to push opponents as hard as we can on the court through challenging serves and unrelenting attacks. I’ve seen all levels of our program respond and play fearlessly at different times and expect that, as the season moves on, it will become the norm.”

Following their Coulee opener against Luther on Tuesday, the Red Hawks will take part in a Saturday tournament in Elmwood and then hit the road to face West Salem next Tuesday at 7 p.m.

GB Preble 2 G-E-T 0

The Hornets swept the Red Hawks 25-18, 25-20 in their opening match at the Great River Sprawl last Wednesday.

G-E-T’s leaders included senior Amara Brantner with five kills, sophomore Taryn Leighty with two aces, sophomore Rylynn Simmons with three digs and sophomore Amelia Walz and Leighty with a combined seven assists.

Wabeno/Laona 2 G-E-T 0

The Rebels cruised to at 25-12, 25-3 victory over G-E-T this past Wednesday. Amara Brantner and Claire Baures each had two kills for G-E-T, Brantner added three digs and Taryn Leighty and Amelia Walz finished with a combined four assists.

Brookwood 2 G-E-T 0

The Falcons defeated the Red Hawks 25-19, 25-15 in pool play last Wednesday in Onalaska.

Amara Brantner finished with four kills and three aces and three digs, Rylynn Simmons also had three digs and the duo of Taryn Leighty and Amelia Walz combined for 10 assists.

G-E-T 2 Ladysmith 0

To close out Wednesday at the Great River Sprawl, G-E-T swept the Lumberjacks 25-15, 25-18. In the win, Amara Brantner fired in eight kills, Ameila Walz served up four aces and Taryn Leighty dished out four assists.

Cuba City 2 G-E-T 0

To begin the second day of play last week in Onalaska, the Cubans swept the Red Hawks 25-19, 25-9. Leaders for G-E-T were Amara Brantner with eight kills, senior Clara Schulze with six digs and the duo of Amelia Walz and Taryn Leighty with a combined 11 assists.

G-E-T 2 Boscobel 1

The Red Hawks outlasted the Bulldogs 25-12, 23-25, 15-11 last Thursday at the Great River Sprawl. Stat leaders included Amara Brantner with seven kills and four digs, junior McKenna Schindler with six kills, Amelia Walz with 10 aces and Taryn Leighty and Walz with a combined 18 assists.

G-E-T 2 Iowa-Grant 1

G-E-T finished out its stay in the Great River Sprawl by defeating the Panthers 25-13, 16-25, 15-13 this past Thursday. Amara Brantner had eight kills and four aces, Rylynn Simmons registered seven kills, Taryn Leighty added 10 assists and four digs and Amelia Walz recorded five assists.