Resilience is the Name of the Game

After a slower start to the season than they’d hoped for, the Lady Norsemen ended up 1-2 after the first week, falling to Aurora Christian and Lisle, but gaining momentum by the end in the win over Dwight.

The following week, the girls fell again to Rosary but managed to overcome their first conference match later that same week against Leland-Earlville, that win taking them on to also defeat other LTC conference members Hinckley Big-Rock, Hiawatha, Lamoille, Indian Creek, and Paw Paw in the weeks to follow. During this time, the Lady Norsemen also won their non-conference match-up with Ottawa Marquette.

The ladies headed to Mount Pulaski on the weekend of September 17 and then IMSA the first few days in October. They placed a solid second at IMSA after an avenging win over ACS to get to the championship.

The week after, the Lady Norsemen completely devoted their energy to the Little Ten Conference tournament, easily whipping through opponents like Serena and Leland-Earlville to go toe-to-toe with Somonauk, the other undefeated champion in conference play.

Battling for the first time in the season, the Lady Norsemen were thrown off guard from the very beginning, dropping behind Somonauk to a 0-9 fault at the start of set one. The Bobcats ended up controlling the rest of the match and taking home the Little Ten Conference Tournament Championship, the title going to someone other than Newark for the first time since 2009, breaking the Lady Norsemen’s undefeated 82 conference winning game streak.

Bruised from their loss, the ladies brushed it off, or at least attempted to, in time for their match at Harvest Christian on October 11. They lost the non-conference match-up after a few serving streaks by the Lady Lions.

However, the Lady Norsemen had other goals that week, with their regular season conference game at Somonauk their main goal. They were seeking revenge from the week prior, and receive revenge they did. Newark ladies came into Somonauk October 13, their energy high and minds set on claiming the regular season champion title.

In the first set, Newark came back from a 17-9 deficit, their resilience noted as they finished that set with a win, setting even more momentum in their favor as they started set two on a 10-1 serving run. Needless to say, the Lady Norsemen reclaimed their glory and won over Somonauk, taking first place in conference for their undefeated regular season.

Nearing the end of the season, the ladies celebrated their Senior Night, seniors Emma Nelson and Jasmine Mitchell enjoying their final home game playing volleyball in that white uniform on that floor. The Titans of IMSA dared to enter the arena with them, losing in two quick sets to allow the team to enjoy the traditional senior night cake together. The very next night, Newark finished off their conference games, defeating Serena for the third time this season.

By Jasmine Mitchell

Swinging Into Another Season

The Lady Norsemen started with their season opener on August 30 against Aurora Christian. Looking at the schedule for the upcoming season, they have some tough competition ahead of them.

This year, there are 14 rostered players on the varsity team, including two seniors Emma Nelson and Jasmine Mitchell, returning juniors Mikayla Williams, Riane Tomsa, Alyssa Schofield, Cheyane Copeland, Caeley Larson, and volleyball newcomer junior Meghan Lehmann. The returning sophomores include Rachel Testin, Alyssa Gittins, and setter Olivia Nelson. New additions to the team are three freshmen: Mattie Chapman, Naomi Sweeney, and Meggie Scott. Their overall record is 4-5.

Over the summer, the team played in league and had some tournaments on the road. Many hours were spent in the gym in preparation for the season. This past week they have their first conference game and came out with a big win. Looking ahead further into the season, they have a lot of work ahead of them and huge goals to accomplish.

By Caeley Larson

Conference Championship Momentum

The Newark Lady Norsemen volleyball team comes into the final stretch of the season after a bittersweet conference championship victory. The ladies beat Indian Creek in two games in front of a frenzy crowd at Paw Paw High School. This conference championship completes a clean sweep for this year’s seniors, as they have won conference titles in all 4 years during their careers.

Unfortunately, during the October 9 victory, Sophomore Caeley Larson came down awkwardly on a kill, clutching her knee. She had to be helped off the court and would not return to the game. Sadly, results showed a torn ACL and sprained MCL that will sideline Caeley for the season.

This is a tough blow for Caeley and the team, especially this close to the postseason. “It’s going to be really hard to replace Caeley but I think we can step up and do it. We will need to cover very well and so far Riane Tomsa has stepped in and done a good job,” said Senior libero Megan DiClementi.

The Lady Norsemen began postseason play on October 26 with Regionals at Serena High School. This team hopes to take their recent hot streak into the playoffs and make a deep run. “The conference title gave us as a team a lot of confidence going forward. We proved to ourselves that we could fight through adversity and still rally to win.” DiClementi said as she and the girls prepare for the postseason.

Senior Kelsea Zitt also stressed the importance of the conference title. “We look to carry this momentum from the conference tourney into the final few games of the season and into the postseason,” she said.

By Will Clausel

Little Ten Conference Champs!
Congratulations to the Lady Norsemen Volleyball Team for placing 1st at the 2015 Little Ten Conference Tournament Friday night! The Lady Norsemen (19-5, 6-0 Conf.) took on #3 seeded Lady Bobcats and finished with a win in two games with scores of 28-26, 25-16. Way to go, Lady Norsemen!!!

October Playoff Push

For the Newark Lady Norsemen volleyball team, October is a big month. With a slate of 8 games to prepare them for the Regionals, the ladies look to get ready for the post season.

Senior defensive specialist Rachel Jacobson said, “We try to play our best volleyball come post season time when it’s win or go home.” Hitter Kelsea Zitt stressed the importance of the 8 October games, “Those games help us prepare for our playoff run. We try to make sure we are all the same page to make a deep run.”

Leadership will be a key for the Lady Norsemen to stay together during the back end of the season. Senior Megan DiClementi said, “The captains and the seniors really help the team stay close during the end of the year. Keeping our team chemistry high is important for our success at the end of the year.”

The Lady Norsemen will look to their seniors captains, Marissa and Maddie Friestad, and also junior captain Emma Nelson for this leadership. Emma, being the only junior captain, explained how the adjustment to being a team captain has gone: “It has gone very well. It is nice to know that the girls trust me enough to put me in that leadership position.”
Hopefully our Lady Norsemen will bring their best volleyball to the post season and make one of their usual deep runs.

By Will Clausel

Lady Norsemen Volleyball Preview

On September 1, the Newark Lady Norsemen volleyball team will begin another season under the leadership of Coach Tonya Grayson. This year’s squad will try to continue the dominance of previous year’s teams.

There are 9 returning team members from last year’s team including senior captains Maddie and Marissa. Junior Emma will join them as the third captain to lead this year’s squad over the sectional hump they are looking to get over. Newark has been defeated by Harvest Christian the past 2 years in the Sectional and are striving to get past them this time around. Harvest Christian will visit Newark on September 17, which is a date that many are looking forward to. “We are looking forward to playing Harvest. They are a tough team that will give us a test, and it is also the Homecoming game,” said senior Megan.

Team chemistry is always important with sports teams, and it seems like this year’s Lady Norsemen already have that unique bond. “Team chemistry is definitely a strength of the team,” Coach Grayson said,  “The girls get along great, and always play hard together as a team.” Sophomore middle hitter Nikki piggybacked on Coach’s comment, “We all get along great, which is a huge advantage for us.”

The Kill Club will be back again for this year’s volleyball season with a fresh face in charge. Senior Kendall will take over as President of the club this season. Evan will be his right-hand man as the Vice President.

Nikki explained how important the Kill Club is to the team, “We love having the Kill Club at games. The energy and excitement they bring really gets us going.” This year’s leaders encourage everyone to come to the games and help cheer on our ladies to another successful season. President Endres said, "With only 6 home games this year, we’re looking to be fully engaged every time our Lady Norsemen take the floor."

By Will, Dylan, and Evan

Lady Norsemen Advance to Sectional Championship

Congratulations to the Newark Lady Norsemen Volleyball Team for your IHSA Class 1A Sectional Semifinal victory Tuesday night against Winnetka (North Shore Country Day). The Lady Norsemen have now advanced to the Sectional Championship game vs. Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy) to be held at at Elgin (Westminster Christian) on Thursday at 6PM. Come Cheer Your Lady Norsemen Team!!!

Regional Champions!

Congratulations to the Newark Lady Norsemen volleyball team for your 25-17, 27-25 regional victory against Indian Creek! The Lady Norsemen have now advanced to the Sectional Semifinal to be held on Tuesday, November 4th at 6:30 p.m. vs Winnetka (North Shore Country Day) at Elgin (Westminster Christian).

We Are The Champions

The Newark High School gym was packed to the walls on Friday, October 10. The Little Ten Conference Tournament was held on the Norseman's home floor. There was a lot of energy leading up to the anticipated match against top seeded Newark and second seeded Indian Creek.

The Newark Kill Club transformed the gym into a loud and competitive atmosphere. The first game started as a toss up between both teams. One member of the Kill club, sophomore Steve McGrath, said, “There was a loud and intense crowd there. There was high energy and positive vibes!“ Senior Austin Dike said, “I knew the girls would come out with the W. I counted on them to bring the win home, and they did exactly that.”

The Timberwolves started off with a 9 to 7 lead, but the Norsemen came back quickly to tie it up. Both teams started off slow from the serving line, but made up for it with strong defense. The Timberwolves and Lady Norsemen had a strong defense in serve receive and digging.

The long rallies, aggressive swings, and tough defense ended with a Newark win with 26 to 24. The girls went into the next game ready to dominate. They got off aggressive and loud. High energy on the Norsemen’s side helped boost them into an early run against Indian Creek.

Both teams battled hard. Newark came out on top with a 25 to 22 win. The very competitive match led the girls into a strong couple of weeks up to postseason.

By Rachael Lape and Maddie Friestad

Little Ten Conference Champs!
Congratulations to the Lady Norsemen Volleyball Team for placing 1st at the 2014 Little Ten Conference Tournament Friday night! The Lady Norsemen (16-7) took on #2 seeded Lady Timberwolves and finished with a win in two games with scores of 26-24, 25-22.

Setting up for a Great Season

The Lady Norsemen have been busy getting ready for the season ahead. They participated in summer league games at the Great Lakes center and went to the Lincoln Land tournament. Official practices started August 13.

The first volleyball game was at home against Aurora Christian on August 28. The varsity team won two out of three games.

Coach Grayson has added a few new games to the schedule. The Lady Norsemen will be picking up two new games with Harvest Christian Academy and Rosary.The team will also be competing in the Manteno tournament on September 6, the IMSA tournament on October 4, and the IC tournament on October 25. The team has a challenging and exciting season ahead. Come out and support your Lady Norsemen!

By Rachael Lape, Madison Friestad, Marissa Friestad

Finishing the Season Strong

The Lady Norsemen finished up their successful season on Tuesday November 5th. The team competed against Mooseheart for the Regional semi final. They put them away soundly, and moved to their next opponent. After claiming the regional championship against Hinkley-Big Rock, the lady Norsemen advanced to their next game against Harvest Christian. This match was lost, ending the season, but did not end the great memories and great accomplishments achieved this season. After finishing with a 27-7 record and being undefeated in conference, and leaving with a Conference tournament championship, the Norsemen have nothing to hang their heads about. The girls have had a great season. All the hard work paid off with some great wins and they have a team to be proud of. Congratulations to the team on finishing strong and making the season one to remember.

By Maddie Friestad and Marissa Friestad

Regional Champions!

Congratulations to the Newark Lady Norsemen volleyball team for your 25-18, 27-25 regional victory against HBR! The Lady Norsemen have now advanced to the Sectional Semifinals to be held on Tuesday, November 5th 7:00 p.m. vs Elgin (Harvest Christian Academy) at Elgin.

Little Ten Conference Champs!
Congratulations to the Lady Norsemen Volleyball Team for placing 1st at the 2013 Little Ten Conference Tournament Friday night! The Lady Norsemen (18-4) took on #3 seeded Somonauk Lady Bobcats and finished with a win in two games with scores of 25-17, 25-14.

Bump, Set, Spike!

The Newark volleyball teams are off to a strong start! The Varsity team recently finished 3rd at the Manteno tournament. Juniors Melanie Kala and Rachael Lape were selected for the all tournament team. The JV team finished first at the Aurora Central Catholic tournament. They have some home games coming up and some conference games right around the corner. The girls are looking forward to a great season! Come out and support your Lady Norsemen this season!

By Marissa and Maddie Friestad

Congratulations, Volleyball!!!

Congratulations to the JV and Varsity Volleyball teams for their performances in their tournaments this past weekend at Manteno HS. The JV team took 1st place, and Varsity took 3rd place. Great job, girls!

Volleyball: Pass It On!

Volleyball is in full swing this year. The program has all three levels competing. Varsity, Junior varsity, and the freshmen team are going to be successful this year with the talent the girls have brought with them and the coaching they’re receiving. Coach Grayson agrees. When asked how she thought the season would go, she replied with, “We’ll win the Little Ten Conference, the Conference Tournament and get the 20 mark win again. We’ll be good I’m just waiting to see exactly how good.” She was also asked what she’s most excited about this year and she answered, “Just getting on the court and competing. The team is a fun one this year. Everything off the court as well such as the team retreat.”

This year varsity had to “restock” the team because they lost four starting seniors last year. Senior Kristina Nichols agreed when she said, “ It’ll be a good season, but it’ll come with a lot of hard work when working to restock the team.” When Melanie Kala was asked her thoughts on the team she replied, “It’s a completely new team and we have a lot of work, but if we stay focused during practice we’ll be good.” The team is excited about this year and Kristina is especially excited about the team bonding aspect and being a leader on the court for her senior year.

The junior varsity team is working hard to live up to the expectations the coaches have laid out for them. Since a majority of the team has already played with each other for a season, they are well rounded and ready to go this season. Sophomore Marissa Friestad was asked how she thought the season would go and she responded, “A majority of the team has already played together for a season and we have improved a lot since last year. Our team is really close and this season should be super fun.” She is most excited about getting closer with the team and tournaments. The JV team has a lot of talent and potential and hope for a successful season.

The freshman team is adjusting to high school volleyball quickly. The team is really well laid out and should have a great season. Freshman, Emma Nelson, was asked what her expectations for the team is and she said, “Pretty good. We just need to keep improving in practice.” She is most looking forward to getting playing time and getting to know her team better. The varsity and junior varsity have a great team coming up the next few seasons.

By Mackenzie Fletcher, Marissa Friestad, Lindsey Larson

Congratulations

Congratulations to Abbey Akre on receiving the "Times Player of the Year" Award! We are super, duper proud of you!

Congratulations also to Lauren Tollefson on being selected to the Times Area first team and Kristina Nichols on the second team!

CONGRATULATIONS NEWARK VOLLEYBALL

Congratulations to all 3 volleyball teams on their impressive seasons! Special congrats to the varsity team on a conference championship, conference tournament championship, regional championship and a 29-win season! So proud of you! And finally, congratulations to Abbey Akre, Lauren Tollefson, Kristina Nichols and Taylor Krug for being selected to the all-conference team this year!

Dream Big

This year the Newark Lady Norsemen are hoping to go deep into their post season. After three consecutive years of not achieving a regional championship plaque, Coach Nagel and her girls hunger for more than just a regional plaque. When asked what will set them apart from other teams they will come across in their post season run, senior Lauren Tollefson stated, “As long as the team stays mentally focused for every match we will remain consistent.” Currently the Ladies are at an astonishing 29 - 5 record. Coach Nagel has high hopes for the team and believes they can end the season with thirty wins under their belts.

by Abbey Akre