Photo by Jake McNeill The 2022 Tracy-Milroy-Balaton Panthers volleyball team includes front row (L to R): Brianna Duscher, Teagan Viessman, & Piper Freeburg. Back row (L to R): Allison Edwards, Alivia Jensen, Hailey Gernentz, Kyli Carter, & Jordyn Hanson.

TRACY — The Tracy-Milroy-Balaton volleyball team put together a strong campaign last season, posting a 23-7 record before falling to Russell-Tyler-Ruthton in the 3A Section semifinals. The Panthers lost some key pieces but will try to carry some of that success over to this year.

Most of the Panthers’ losses come up in the front row. Amber Hensch, Ella Kamrud, Jordan Munson, Jaelynn Carter and Emma Edwards were the Panthers’ top five players in kills last season. All four were seniors, resulting in a great deal of turnover for the team. Additionally, the team’s defensive leaders in Grace Dolan, Kamryn Petersen and Elizabeth Fultz also graduated, leaving plenty of room for new faces to step up. 

In terms of new production, TMB head coach Rick Haberman said filling those roles is going to be a team effort. No one player is going to replace any of last year’s seniors, but the team as a whole will try to find ways to win and shift players into new roles.

“We’re still searching for what we think is going to be our best lineup as far as hitting, but also passing,” Haberman said. “Basically all the areas except for setting, we graduated the kids in those spots. So right now, we’re a pretty new team in all phases. We’re trying to find what we think is going to be our best combination of hitting lines, passing lines and defensively, so we’re kind of unknown right now and we’re kind of trying to piece things together as we go here.”

Hailey Gernentz returns as the team’s cornerstone in the middle, helping the team transition from its previous core into the future. An Independent First-Team All-Area selection as a junior, Gernentz had 702 set assists and 287 digs on the season. She also contributed 56 kills to boot.

“[Gernentz] is the most experienced kid by quite aways and we’re going to need everything from her. It starts with her leadership,” Haberman said. “Throughout the first week, she has done a great job of leading our team… We’re relying on her for a lot of everything. Defense, blocking, setting and overall leadership and competitiveness.”

Gernentz played a team-high 87 sets last season. Among other returners, Jordyn Hanson and Alivia Jensen are the most experienced of the group. Hanson played 20 sets last year and Jensen played in 18. The group may not be as battle-tested as it had been last season, but the team’s youth gives ample opportunity for growth and future development.

“Even if you do have a lot of new kids, every team is different. It’s fun being part of that growth and seeing that growth,” Haberman said. “You always want it to be as fast as possible. Sometimes as coaches, we need to be a little patient and sometimes the team is going to have to be a little patient as far as when everything gels together. What we want to do is have that urgency to try to get there but then also the patience when it doesn’t come right away.”

2023 schedule

Aug. 25 vs. RRC, 7:15 p.m.

Aug. 29 at Windom Area, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5 at RTR, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 8-9 at Marshall (tournament)

Sept. 12 vs. MACCRAY, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 14 at RCW, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 19 vs. CMC, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 21 at Dawson-Boyd, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 23 at Sibley East (tournament)

Sept. 26 vs. KMS, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28 at Lakeview, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 3 vs. Ortonville, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 5 vs. Canby, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 10 at YME, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 12 vs. Minneota, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 13-14 at Apple Valley (tournament)

Oct. 17 at LQPV, 7:15 p.m.