Khloe Weber serves a ball for Delta in a match at Swanton last season. She is back for her junior season in 2021.
File photo
The Delta volleyball team will have six letter winners back but will have to replace its three all-league performers from 2020.
Letter winners back for the 2021 season include senior Alyesa Brown, senior Ashley Gill, senior Jersey Irelan, senior Madison Savage, senior Tatum Tolson, and junior Khloe Weber. Along with time on the court, that will be one of the strengths for the Panthers, according to Coach Heather Carrisalez.
“We were able to have more practice time this year during the summer than last year due to COVID,” she said. “We were able to play in a league this summer and also do a tournament at Owens Community College.”
Delta will need to replace five letter winners from last season’s team that finished 10-10 overall and 1-6 in Northwest Ohio Athletic League play. Brooklyn Green, Reagan Rouleau, and Brooklyn Wymer were each honorable mention all-league in 2020. Ella Ford and Braelyn Wymer are also gone.
Newcomers that could contribute this season include senior Jessica Erd, junior Gretchen Culler, junior Aizlynn O’Brien, junior Sophia Burres, sophomore Kate Friess and sophomore Sydney Churchill.
That number of newcomers that haven’t played at the varsity level and will have to learn a new pace of play, could be a weakness, according to Carrisalez.
Overall, the coach thinks “we will do well once we find our groove. We will be very competitive.”
Carrisalez added that she thinks the team will improve on their 1-6 league mark from 2020. They are “a great group of girls that work hard and work well with each other.”
