Hawks ready to make a statement in UEC
The Bartlett girls volleyball team was pushed around in the Upstate Eight Conference for years. This year the Hawks plan to push back.
Traditionally not a factor in the UEC race, Bartlett took a step last season by finishing third in the league. Led once again by talented co-captains Emily Hayes and Carly Sahagian and now coached by a Bartlett alum who played in college and professionally overseas, the Hawks think they can make a run at the UEC title this fall.
"I'm expecting to compete with everybody," said first-year varsity coach Brandon Mueller, a 2001 Bartlett graduate. "I don't see why on any given night we can't compete with any team, especially with the talent we have. I wouldn't be surprised with anything we accomplish, and I'm expecting to accomplish a lot this year."
The Hawks have a talented, tall front line that will cause matchup problems for their opponents, beginning with outside hitters Sahagian and Hayes.
Sahagian, a polished 6-footer, is a Daily Herald all-area selection who spent the off-season playing club volleyball for Sports Performance's top 16-U team, which finished third at the national championships in Louisville, Kentucky in June. She was one of eight players named unanimously to the all-UEC first team last year after notching 231 kills, 108 digs and 58 aces and said she returns this season as a better defensive player.
Sahagian became interested in the game in grade school while watching her older brother Billy play. Billy Sahagian (6-7) is a standout senior middle hitter at Lewis University.
"He helped me a lot," Carly said of her big brother. "Without him I don't think I'd be playing volleyball. I saw him playing when I was really young and I liked it. He just taught me how to play. We played in the backyard a lot. He taught me. At least he tried."
Hayes committed in July to play Division-I volleyball at Radford, where she will play the right side. In high school, however, she'll again be called upon to play outside hitter. At that position last season, she notched 149 kills, 30 blocks and 28 aces and was named to the all-UEC second team.
Both players are experienced at the varsity level, and they were named co-captains this season by their teammates.
"They've both really been great leaders in practice so far, helping the other girls out," Mueller said. "They're always positive, and they're two of my hardest workers even though they're two of the best players we have."
Hayes, Sahagian and the rest of the Hawks are learning new perspectives from Mueller, who learned the intricacies of the game while playing four seasons at Springfield (Mass.) College. He played professional volleyball in Germany in 2006-07 and had planned to play in the Netherlands last winter before a torn ACL ended his playing days.
Mueller coached the Bartlett JV boys volleyball team last spring and had already agreed to coach the girls JV team this fall when opportunity knocked. Jill Bergmann, who took over as Bartlett coach last season, resigned when she landed a teaching position in Woodstock. Mueller stepped through the open door.
"I thought it was a good opportunity to go for the varsity job," Mueller said, "so I got a hold of the athletic director (Dan Kallenbach) and talked to him about it. He eventually hired me.
"I'm real excited. It's my first year of varsity, but I think I can bring a lot to the table. I think I know a lot about volleyball, but overall this will be a great learning experience. We have a great group of girls, so I expect pretty good things from this team."
The girls have quickly taken to their new coach's style in fall practice.
"Oh my gosh, I like him a lot. Like a lot a lot," Hayes said. "I think he's doing really good things. I think we're going to be pretty good."
Said Sahagian: "He has a completely different style. He trains us and conditions us and everything. He's super laid-back. He doesn't believe in yelling, at least I haven't heard him yell yet. When we do drills and make mistakes he'll teach you that you have to do it right to get rewarded."
The Hawks will be fortified by up-and-coming sophomore Jackie Gulczynski, a 6-2 sophomore lefty who will play right side hitter.
Setting the high-flying front line will be junior Alyssa Cazzato, who has been steady in practices so far, according to Mueller. Cazzato set the JV squad last season.
How far these Hawks can take their quest for the title and a deep playoff incursion will depend largely on how well they receive serves and make that first pass to Cazzato. If the Bartlett setter gets good passes to handle, she can set the team's bread-and-butter hitters and make the offense hum.
Sophomore libero Kelly Kraft and the defense must give their hitters a chance. If they can, the sky is the limit for the Hawks in a wide-open UEC that saw plenty of talented seniors graduate from defending co-champs St. Charles North and Waubonsie Valley and Class 4A semifinalist St. Charles East.
"Now that they're gone any school has a chance," Hayes said. "I'm really excited for Bartlett because I think we're really going to be able to finally do something good."