Craig volleyball poised for successful truncated spring season

John Barry, The Janesville Gazette, Wis.
·2 min read

Mar. 2—JANESVILLE — Janesville Craig volleyball coach Blake Budrow believes he has the right pieces in place for a successful alternate fall season.

Now it's simply a matter of getting those pieces to fit.

The Cougars open up a schedule with all nonconference matches March 9 by hosting Sun Prairie.

"We are having great competition in practice," Budrow said. "It has been a fun start to the season. The coaches and players all seem happy to be back in the gym."

Craig finished 13-19 during the 2019 fall season and was sixth in the Big Eight Conference. The 2020 fall season was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns, with all Big Eight schools opting for a spring season. On Friday, it was announced the Madison schools—East, West, La Follette and Memorial—are not participating in this alternate fall season.

, either.

Budrow believes the strength of his team will be setting. He thinks Abby Trapp, Julia Masterson and Lily Campbell all can thrive at the position.

"They all bring a little dimension and skill set to the floor," Budrow said.

The middle blockers will be led by Taia Hodgkinson and Jessa Alderman, along with Bryn McBride. Budrow also expects McBride to be a right side hitter.

Craig's pin hitters figure to be Britten Bertagnoli, McKaylie Justman and Kelly Heinzen. Additional right side hitters include Rachel Luckett and Maddie McCormick. Bella Vitaioli can also play both pins.

Defensively, Budrow believes he has two strong libero/defensive specialists in Sophia Vitaioli and Maggie DeGarmo.

Budrow said COVID-19 guidelines set up by the WIAA and the Rock County Health Department will make for a challenging but no less rewarding season. Players and coaches must wear masks at all times. Only dual matches are allowed, with no tournaments being played.

"The main difference is no Saturday tournaments," Budrow said. "But the positive side of that is we get to play some matches on Friday and Saturday nights.

"We just need remain flexible throughout the season, as the schedule may change quickly. We need to enjoy the practice, the process of getting better each day and the time we get to spend with our teammates."