Expectations are running high for the Trinity Lutheran volleyball team.

The Cougars won the school’s 10th straight sectional last fall and made it to the finals of the Loogootee Regional before losing to Tecumseh, which advanced to the Class 1A state finals.

Janet VanLiew is beginning her second season in her second stint coaching the Cougars and has five seniors returning and all five were regulars’ last fall.

The seniors are Ava Blomenberg, Carson Bowling, Addison Darlage, Madison Keith, and Laura Roeder. All five of these girls were on the state finals team.

Darlage was named Trinity’s most valuable player last season, and Keith was named most improved.

Roeder set season school records for aces (89), digs (607) and serve receives (645) last fall.

Darlage holds the career mark for assists with 3,050, while Roeder topped 1,500 career digs, Bowling topped 1,000 kills, and Keith topped 500 digs and kills last fall.

VanLiew said, “Our offense will be pretty strong. We’ve got a lot more options this year, and then we’ve got the setter that can put the ball where she needs to, and she is very intelligent on where the put the ball, and when to put the ball places.

“We’re trying to speed up the offense, just doing a number of things that make us more effective hitters than we already are. With ball control and athletes, and a setter like us, we can run a quick offense.

“I think our ball control is going to be very good, and we’re very aggressive serving-wise. Those things, especially at the high school level, get you many points before you worry about hitting or anything else.

“I think our ball control is going to be the thing that really separates us from other teams. Blocking is going to be a new part to our game.”

VanLiew said juniors Maddie Adams and Bailey Bonde will be key to the Cougars’ success.

“We’ve got a sophomore class that is really strong. We are going to fit in some pieces, and we have a freshman middle coming in, Rachel Bonde,” she said.

Bowling said she is looking forward to an exciting senior year.

“I’m just looking forward to leading the team like I was led my freshman year, hopefully to a state championship. This year we have a lot of different talent levels.”

She will be playing in the middle. “Getting a lot of kills is mainly my job and block some balls. Blocking is about timing, finding my hitter and opposing the block.”

She has confidence in her serving. “I think I have a good serve. “

Bowling said she played all-around last fall but this year, “I’m not sure if I will. I start in the front row, and I serve. Then I sit on the bench for two rotations before I go back to the front row. I appreciate it, honestly. “

She likes the make-up of the team. “This year our team has a lot of chemistry and we’re all good friends, so it makes practice a lot easier.”

VanLiew said, ‘Everybody is coming off club season, and we’re ready to play. They can be loud, they can be a lot of fun, touch a lot of balls so I think they’ll be a fun team to watch.”

The Cougars will be tested Saturday when they open their season at the Providence Invitational, beginning at 9 a.m.

The Cougars have added Westfield and Triton Central for regular matches, and Trinity was invited to the Shondell Family Tournament at Muncie Burris on September 7. Trinity will host its invitational on September 28.

VanLiew said she always wants to see her team win its first match.

“We want to come out strong from point one, and not rely on the other team making mistakes to give us points, but for us to earn every point from the beginning. I think that is very important for us.

“I just want to have an enjoyable season for the kids as they put in a lot of time, a lot of work and just have an enjoyable season with a lot of winning. Our ultimate goal is to be playing at Ball State in November. It’s going to take teamwork and not having injuries.”