Out of 1600+ students at Normal West, there were four called down to center court to lead the entire student body in singing the school song during Thursday morning’s homecoming assembly.
Who were they?
Adsea Schieler, Ellie Rink, Ally Highland, and Shelby Sennett, the four seniors on the 2024 Wildcat volleyball team, who are currently sitting at 17-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12.
They are also getting ready for a big weekend of not only celebrating a Homecoming dance but playing in one of the biggest tournaments of the year: the annual intercity tournament, hosted this year by Normal Community High School.
It is no coincidence that these four girls were called down to represent the whole school because the 2024 Normal West volleyball team has a lot of #wildcatenergy that they share in the gym, in the halls, via Instagram, and in the classroom.
In fact, the girls have worked hard to not only be successful on the court but also off the court, as well.
“I think what makes this year different is that we’re so close as a team and are all really good friends. We’ve made it a goal to…treat each other like family and act like one big family. I think we’ve done a really good job of that, which is what helps us perform on the court and also be friends off the court,” Senior Ally Highland, who is second in blocks this season, states.
Head Coach Kelsey Mueller, who is in her twelfth year as head coach at West, has been the most proud of the team’s growth this season along with the teams ability to stick together and make adjustments on the fly. In particular, she notes the tournament win in Lincoln, calling it a “big deal.”
“It hasn’t been easy but they’ve done a really good job of being like ‘okay, we lost this first set, or we’re down by six, or that practice was really challenging’ and then they have done a really good job of staying together and keeping in mind our team goals and battling for each other,” Mueller boasts.
Junior outside hitter and Virginia Tech commit, Avery Feltes, echoes her coach saying, “We’ve worked on being vulnerable with each other…especially taking those mistakes because they can translate to games and that could be a big success for us down the road.”
Battling for each other is definitely something that the girls use both on and off the court, and Mueller notes that although there are a number of things the team does to build camaraderie, the yearly lock-in was key to seeing how this year’s team works together.
“This year, for some reason was like one of the most fun [lock-ins] I’ve ever had. I mean, I was literally up until 4:45 a.m. in the morning doing Just Dance in the multipurpose room with the girls, and it was just really fun to see them kind of be all-in with each other with goofy things…They were way-over-the-top with it, and it just was a lot of fun,” Mueller describes.
Although Coach Mueller notes that at this point in the season, the girls already know each other very well, the team continues team dinners to spend time together, as well.
A lot of their growth also happens during downtime at tournaments, too. Mueller specifically highlights the time they shared at the Lincoln tournament as a pivotal moment for team-building.
“I think we have really good team chemistry, and we’re really good with talking to each other and being vulnerable with each other…We have a really good mix of returners and starters, and I think that it’s really good being able to mesh,” Junior outside hitter Olivia Ziemer notes of her team.
As the volleyball season progresses, the Wildcats aim to keep up this undefeated streak that they have worked so hard to achieve.
They have a well-balanced team with leaders like 3-year starter and St. Louis University recruit Ellie Rink, and their chances are positive; however, they also recognize that they are still growing.
“I feel like we’re trying to make sure that we’re continuing to have growth every single day whether it’s in practice or games and using every opportunity.” Mueller states.
The Wildcats have a big weekend with the annual Intercity Tournament where they will take on Normal U-High, Bloomington High School, Normal Community, and Bloomington Central Catholic.
“I’m very excited because our town and area has really good high level volleyball, so I think it’ll be fun to compete against all the really good teams and then also like to see where we match up and what we still need to work on for the rest of the season,” Rink notes.
It’s clear that the Wildcats, while happy with results thus far, are very aware of the work that still lies ahead. For now, they’ll continue to grow together.
The Wildcats will take on Normal U-Hight tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 28 at 9 a.m, Normal Community at 10 a.m., and Bloomington High School at 3 p.m. They’ll battle a tough Bloomington Central Catholic team on Monday, September 30 to round out the tournament.
