Director
in the Duneland Conference never changes: It is war with rules. The only thing
that changes are the boundaries of the battle field.
conference dominated by veteran coaches who teach fundamentals and demand
excellence, and they usually get just that. The 2006 season should be no
different. The league is balanced, deep, and very talented.
teams
always near the top and will be again. They are not overly tall, but they have
strong senior leadership and are among the top defensive teams in the state.
Coach Lebo points to an intangible as LaPorteâ??s real strength: incredible team
chemistry.
for several years but should be ready to step it up a notch. They also are very
strong defensively, and size is not a problem here.
be due for a fall because of heavy graduation losses, but they still have
tradition, work ethic, and one of the stateâ??s best players in senior middle
hitter Brittany Loomis.
Duneland, coach Michelle Salomonâ??s crew is dotted with players who hone their
skills in top club competition. The Vikings are another squad boasting
significant size.
Bulldogs are now under the guidance of venerable Dunes club boss Rick Ashmore.
Conference coaches are sure he will turn the program around. The only question
is how long it will take.
to struggle
it is in two- or three-sport athletes for whom volleyball is not No. 1.
this program. But consistency has been the Achillesâ?? heel for these Indians.
that most feel will be good news for these Indiansâ?? program. It is simply a
question of how long until it pays dividends.
in the landscape
change is Ashmore taking the reins at Crown
Point. The Bulldogs are strong in a lot of sports and
obviously got tired of volleyball not being one of them. Most agree this was a
brilliant hire. Meanwhile, former Andrean coach Amber Alm is the new boss at Lake Central.
to watch
hitter Katie Hajnacki, Portage
hitter Brittany Loomis, Michigan City
hitter Chelsey Kelly, Merrillville
hitter Allie Zikesch, Valparaiso
Laurel Kuepker, LaPorte
Jessica Sharp, Chesterton
overview
several solid teams taking the court this season in the Duneland, but a state
title run from any of them is unlikely. Most of the leagueâ??s teams beat each
other up in the same sectional. The exception is LaPorte, which hosts a
sectional with the only conference foe being Michigan City. Regardless, both sectionals
then feed into a regional that includes the winner from a meat-grinder
sectional featuring Elkhart Memorial, Concord,
and Penn.
as competing in the Duneland can be, LaPorteâ??s Lebo says the conference is composed
of very friendly rivals.
lot of veteran coaches, and weâ??re very lucky in that we all sincerely get along
very well,â? Lebo said. â??It is good competition, but even more it is a lot of
fun.â?