The Notre Dame girls’ volleyball team got off to a hot start in conference play last Thursday, taking down De Pere, 3 sets to nothing, 25-17, 25-17, 25-8.

In the alternate fall season in the spring, the girls made it to sectionals for the 11th year in a row. This year, the team has high hopes for a conference title with elite talent in every class.

“This season we definitely have a deep bench, not only in numbers but also in athleticism,” senior captain Cadence Maxfield said. “We have amazing athletes who contribute in many ways to help maintain the level of energy and excitement that we have had so far this season.”

From top to bottom, there is production as shown by the numbers. Against De Pere, senior outside hitter Olivia Sullivan led the team with 11 kills while freshman Maddie Wolfram led with 3 digs. 

A big change to this year’s squad is at the head coaching role. After previous head coach Ben Wolf stepped down, Notre Dame hired Lindsay Schauer as the new coach. Schauer has had head coaching experience, being hired at Grafton High School in 2019.

“Lindsay has helped our energy and enthusiasm by speaking on its importance on and off the court,” Maxfield said, “not only with us, but with her and her coaching staff. It will continue to make this season so much more fun.”

The new head coach brings a heightened culture to the position, giving the team a renewed sense of energy after the short offseason. 

After the loss of the large class of 2021, including all-conference players Brooklyn O’Nell and Bryn Danen, the program was able to reload quickly, returning Maxfield and Sullivan, as well as building on the underclassmen. 

Sophomores Gracie Grzesk and Hannah Greisen are standouts from the class of 2024.

“The thought of losing six seniors made me nervous for this season,” Sullivan said. “But everyone has put in the work and found their role on the court which made that transition very easy.”

The girls face off against D.C. Everest in Wausau this Tuesday and return to conference play against Green Bay Southwest on Thursday.