ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Lady Hub varsity volleyball team will look to a trio of returning senior starters for leadership during the 2024 season, which tipped off with the team’s first practice of the fall campaign Monday afternoon. Rochelle will hold two weeks of practices before taking the court for its first match of the season at Belvidere on Monday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m.

The Lady Hubs are seeking to improve on a 17-16 overall record and a 3-7 record in the Interstate 8 Conference, where Rochelle finished fifth, during the 2023 season. Experience will be an asset for the Lady Hubs, who welcome back two four-year varsity players in senior libero Dempsey Atkinson as well as senior outside hitter and GVSU commit Taelynn Rodeghero. Senior setter and Toledo commit Ali Ohlinger also returns for her third varsity season.

“We have a very experienced group which is awesome,” head coach Molly Sly said. “We have competitive players at multiple positions who are going to push each other at every practice. We have a lot of fun personalities and a lot of girls who are determined to get better. The freshmen coming in have carried themselves like sophomores and they’ve learned our rotations already.”

Rochelle will look to replace two front-row starters from the 2023 season including middle blocker Kennedy Adamski and opposite hitter Alivia Henkel. The Lady Hubs will look to their junior class to emerge this fall, as Rochelle returns middle blocker Audyn Kemp as well as Jaydin Dickey and Meredith Bruns, who are all entering their second varsity seasons.

“Meredith has great hands and she’s been able to put up a great block,” Sly said. “She can hit well and she’s a great passer so I’m interested to see what she does. We’ll need to see more growth from our middle hitters. We weren’t really able to get them involved during our summer league and we need to make sure they’re available when they’re at the net. We’re going to be working on their transition skills from blocking back to hitting so they can be available for us. We’re working on having three hitters ready to slow down the other side’s block.”

Defensively, Rochelle will lean on its four-year libero Atkinson as well as senior defensive specialist Emma Kennay, who returns for her second varsity season this fall. Rochelle will compete in three tournaments this season including the Jefferson/East Invitational as well as the Lady Hub Invitational at RTHS and the Sterling Invitational. The Lady Hubs will attempt to bring home their first IHSA Regional Championship win since the 1995 season.

“We have a lot of leadership on the floor,” Sly said. “Ali and Taelynn put a lot of work in over the offseason and they’re both ready to go. We had big goals for last season and I think our girls are still hungry to achieve those goals this season. These girls want to be regional champions.”