Strength in unity

CEDAR RAPIDS - Throughout the season, a young Prairie volleyball team played and beat many ranked teams.

A very successful season came to an end in the regional final against Iowa City High. But the Hawk players felt good about their 23-14 record and about each other.

'The girls this year had some of the best chemistry we've had in a while ...,” said senior Megan Sprengler.

The team had worked well together, running its offense through the setters.

'Our setters are like the quarterbacks on the court and everything is run through them,” Coach Lynnette Stecklein said. 'The setters had to know what kind of ball to give to the hitters so that they could have the best chance of scoring.”

The hitters brought the excitement, working hard in the weight room and on the court.

'The higher we can get up, the harder we can hit the ball,” Stecklein said.

Having only eight seniors on this year's team brings a lot of excitement to the future of the program.

One of those returnees will be Kate Busswitz, a junior on this year's roster was a first-team all-Mississippi Valley Conference player.

She already has committed to go play volleyball at Northern Iowa.

'It's stress free knowing what your plans are for the future this early,” Busswitz said.