Pawnee City has grown into volleyball contender

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BY RON POWELL / Lincoln Journal Star

By any standard, Pawnee City has a successful Class D-1 volleyball program. The preseason sixth-ranked Indians return five starters from a 19-8 team last season and bring a 1-0 record into a triangular against Tecumseh and D-2 No. 9 Sterling tonight.

While the seniors on this year's squad relish each victory and aim to reach the state tournament for just the second time in school history, they're always mindful of how things were much different as freshmen and sophomores.

That was when Nebraska's starting setter, Dani Busboom, was terrifying opponents with her monstrous jump serve and explosive attacks at the net as a Super-Stater at Freeman. In addition to the Falcons, Falls City Sacred Heart was also among the top teams in D-1 then with its assortment of outstanding athletes.

In 2001, Pawnee City finished 2-20 and only slightly improved to 4-17 in 2002.

"The Nebraska recruit thing (with Busboom) freaked us out and it was pretty scary facing her serve," says senior outside hitter Michelle Habegger. "They (the Freeman players) were so good, but we knew when they graduated, it was our chance to step up and have some success."

Jennifer Koehler became Pawnee City's head coach in 2002 after serving as an assistant there in '01. She also never lost sight of the big picture during those two seasons.

"My first year, the focus wasn't so much on wins and losses but on learning the fundamentals and giving them a base to build on," Koehler said. "They had natural ability, it was just a matter of them acquiring the skills and developing into a team. I knew the next two years, they could be very competitive."

Even with so many players back from last year, Koehler has changed things up slightly this season. The 5-foot-4 Habegger, last year's Class D triple jump champion at the state track meet, has moved from middle blocker to outside hitter. The development of 5-9 junior Mary Zelenka made that move possible.

Habegger slammed a team-high seven kills in the Indians' 25-5, 25-10, 25-16 season-opening win against Southeast Consolidated Thursday.

"At first I wasn't comfortable (moving out of the middle) because I liked being able to hit in all those different positions," Habegger said. "But now I see the advantages. I don't have to run side-to-side the whole match trying to block, and that saves energy. You also get more opportunities to hit because if the pass isn't right there, the setter just throws it outside."

Koehler has gone to a 6-2 attack this season with 5-7 all-state candidate senior Candace Clow serving in a dual role as an outside hitter and setter. Clow was last year's leading hitter and back-row player with 226 kills and 174 digs. She had five kills and eight assists in the opener.

"I set as a freshman, and I really wanted to get back to that before I graduated," said Clow, who shares setting duties with 5-6 senior Monica Kerl. "I love to hit, too, but if I play in college, my best chance would be at setter because I'm not very tall."

Pawnee City's height comes in the form of 5-11 junior Samantha Musil, the Class D state track and field champion in the discus last spring. Musil had 140 blocks last season and also picked up 165 digs.

"She's really improved since last season," Koehler said. "She's worked hard on improving her movement and vertical jump, and it's showing on the court. We're trying to get her more involved offensively with quicks in the middle and slides to the outside."

Pawnee City joins several other teams that are contenders to win next week's MUDECAS Tournament in Beatrice. Four other rated teams - Sterling, Class C-2 No. 5 Exeter-Milligan, D-1 No. 5 Lewiston and D-1 No. 7 Freeman - are in the field, as well as Falls City Sacred Heart, which beat Freeman Tuesday night.

"It will be a big week for us," Clow said. "We got third in the B division last year, and it's exciting to play in the top (A) division this year. It gives us a chance to see how we compare to other teams in our subdistrict like Lewiston and Freeman."

Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.