Rochester volleyball preview: Strasser notices more ‘athletic’ roster, but will Lady Zs have first winning season since 2020?

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

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Brailyn Hunter Amara Wieringa Adalyn Gonzalez Makayla Walley

The Rochester volleyball team has seven seniors. Its most accomplished player might be a junior. Its most athletic player might be a sophomore. And its player with the most potential is a freshman who will step into the lineup immediately.

As to how the pieces fit, the process is ongoing.

The team went 10-19 last year and is 26-65 over the last three years. They have not had a winning season since they went 17-8 and won a sectional in 2020.

This is also a team that lost the first two sets against Pioneer last year before rallying to win in five in Royal Center. They also won at Lewis Cass and Wabash.

The number of players that coach Laneia Strasser lists on the grease board in her office is evidence of the fun challenges she might have.

They hosted more league nights this summer, which led to better attendance. That allowed Strasser to look at a lot of lineup possibilities.

“I feel like we started out with our fundamentals in a better spot,” coach Strasser said. “So I feel like we’ve had a little bit more of a chance to fine-tune the fun side of volleyball, the hitting, the blocking, the digging. And just a lot of girls’ strength is how much stronger they’re hitting and confident they’re hitting. (That’s) been a huge, pleasant surprise to me.”

The seven seniors are Kyra Doran, Logyn Honkomp, Brailyn Hunter, KayLea McCarty, Jenna Seuferer, Rilyn Strasser and Aubrey Wilson.

Wilson was an honorable mention All-Three Rivers Conference pick in 2024 at setter, but an ankle injury suffered in practice marred her 2025 season.

“We were fortunate last year when Aubrey was injured that we weren’t to the strongest teams in our conference,” coach Strasser said. “So it was an unfortunate injury. I think that played a big role in some of all the other girls stepping up and really filling that position. But she’s a game-changer when you have her on your court. … This is year four playing varsity, so the experience and confidence is there. This is her year, and she knows that.”

Hitting from the outside, Hunter led the team with 147 kills last year.

“Brailyn’s stepping into some big shoes,” coach Strasser said. “Last year was the same way. She was more of a go-to hitter. When you need a side-out, Brai was the one they were normally going to set. I think it relieves her a little bit to not have to be the one to constantly get the side-out when you need it, but she’s also used to it.”

Doran is both a TRC champion in wrestling and the TRC and sectional champion in the long jump in track. She is such a talented leaper that Strasser said the concern is her crashing into the net.

“She’s so fast, and she can just jump through the roof,” coach Strasser said. “Her biggest hurdle is the fact that she thinks it’s a hurdle or a long jump, so she jumps forward. So we really, really have been working on you’ve just got to jump up because I can’t have that many net violations. … Kyra’s just so chill. She’s kind of a hard kid to read because she’s just chill. I mean, if you know Kyra, there’s not a lot that really gets to her. So she handles pressure really well. I’m not really sure exactly what her role will be. She’ll see some court time as far as front row action. But yeah, we’ve really been working on the mechanics of her hitting to improve that side of the game.”

Coach Strasser said Honkomp will start the season as a libero with Rilyn Strasser joining her on the back row.

“I’m definitely going to more than likely run her as my libero this season,” coach Strasser said of Honkomp. “Logyn’s naturally a quiet kid, so she doesn’t necessarily fit the bill for who you’d choose as a libero. Whereas Rilyn’s more of a talker. She’s more of a leader. But Logyn has just the confidence in the mechanics that make her a good libero. … I’ve actually been pretty tough on her in the offseason, and it’s been fun to see how she’s handled that pressure, and she’s done great with it.”

Coach Strasser admitted that she is more critical of Rilyn because she is her daughter. She said she tells Rilyn not to give too much away with her body language.

“She’s got a good pass, and she reads the ball well, and I’m excited to see her defense this season,” coach Strasser said.

Coach Strasser praised Seuferer for her mental attitude.

“Jenna is a natural leader,” coach Strasser said. “She’s a great encourager to her teammates. I don’t know that you could ask for a better encourager when it comes to drills and time in the gym. Jenna’s got a lot of strengths. We continue to work on her quickness to the ball. That’s not something that she’s naturally super athletic with, but she can place the ball when she needs to hit. She’s got a pretty good pass. Jenna’s a great girl to have on your team too.”

Coach Strasser said that McCarty “has improved a ton” over the summer.

“I’ve seen her start to read the ball better on serve receive,” coach Strasser said. “Her serve is tremendous. If I really want to test our serve-receive in practice, I say, ‘OK, KayLea, go serve us some balls.’ Because you know, she’s got a good serve. And it doesn’t necessarily look like it would be the greatest serve, but for some reason, it’s got a good float on it, and it moves a lot. … I’d look to see her to get some more time on the court this season.”

The accomplished junior is Amara Wieringa, who was the only player on the team to receive TRC recognition last year, making honorable mention. She had 133 kills last year and might have the team’s most lethal right arm. She also had 26 aces, a team-high 279 digs, 218 assists and 188 serves received.

“Amara Wieringa, she’s just a beast,” coach Strasser said. “Amara plays a lot of volleyball in the offseason, so she is definitely a kid that spends a lot of time working on her game. And I think a lot of it this year … I think she finally feels like she’s in that leader role. Maybe it’s because she’s a junior. Maybe it’s a lot of the stuff she’s put in work-wise in the offseason. And I’m not putting as much pressure on her because I don’t know that I’m going to run a 6-2. I feel like that’s my second option. I’d prefer to run a 5-1 because I really want her to just focus on being a hitter.”

The athletic sophomore is Adalyn Gonzalez, whose left-handed swing makes her a weapon from the opposite side of Hunter and Wieringa.

“I’ll look to use her as a big hitter this year,” coach Strasser said. “She’s a kid that put a lot of time in the offseason in the weight room, so she’s gotten so much stronger. And she had that freshman year (with) varsity volleyball experience, basketball experience and softball. She’s just a heck of an athlete. She’s a pretty funny girl. You just don’t notice it because she’s kind of quiet, and she has some stone cold looks to her face that you don’t really see those emotions, but she’s a pretty fun kid.”

And the freshman with potential is Makayla Walley, who played with the varsity in summer scrimmages and who starred on an undefeated eighth grade team last fall.

“She’s smart, (and) she’s got the experience,” coach Strasser said. “If our starting lineup didn’t say that she was a freshman, I don’t think anyone in the gym would pick up that she’s a freshman. … We’ll see how she handles the pressure. I’m going to give her a little bit of time to adjust to this level of play, but she plays club ball on some really elite teams, so I think she’ll handle it fine. It might take a game or two or a set or two to get her confidence, but she’s quick to get there on a block, and she does better running a quick, which is what I like to see. She’s a good passer. She’s just a great player. We’re excited to have her on our roster.”

But wait, there’s more.

Junior Maddie Bailon figures to join Doran in the middle after having to step up as a setter at times last year due to Wilson’s injury. Three other juniors – Quinn Gruss, Sylvia McCall and Emma Mathias – will be in the mix for playing time.

“Maddie’s just the kind of kid who you can play anywhere on the court, and she’s going to try her hardest and do well at it,” coach Strasser said. “Maddie is extremely quick, so running her as a middle was kind of a riskier choice last year, but I feel like this year, it’s really paying off. I see the confidence.”

The sophomore group includes Lyla Bowers, who is a “naturally athletic” player according to coach Strasser and who saw some varsity time last year in the back row and as a serve; Hope Baugh, who has made strides as a hitter, according to Strasser; Kyleigh Little, who is a “natural athlete” who is seeing more time in the middle; and Emma Dunfee and Mackenzie Widman, both of whom hope to make the jump from JV to varsity.

And there are six other freshmen in the program besides Walley who are used to winning.

“I have a lot of athleticism on my team, so that’s exciting and a pleasant surprise,” coach Strasser said. “A lot of athleticism, and I feel like I’m finally getting the athleticism with the experience.”

Coach Strasser was asked about communication and team chemistry.

“I have a lot of girls that just want to win, and they’re going to do whatever it takes to win,” coach Strasser said.

Schedule change

Rochester has dropped the Harrison Invitational in West Lafayette scheduled for Sept. 12 and replaced it with a tournament at Rossville.

Rochester will host Class 2A, Sectional 38, which begins Oct. 15. Southwood, who emerged from Sectional 38 to make semistate out of this sectional the last two years, is no longer in the sectional. 

“Sectional’s a whole new ballgame this year,” coach Strasser said. “Years past, it was always a little daunting when Southwood was in here. … They have a girl that’s going to play at the University of Kentucky (Shania Rhamy), so that’s a big cloud that is no longer hanging over us. So I feel like our schedule sets us up to be successful in a postseason run. It’s not too far out of reach, I think.”

Oak Hill is in the sectional, and they have a Division I recruit in Brianna Dailey, who has verbally committed to Butler. Dailey is also the leading scorer on Oak Hill’s state runner-up basketball team.

Coach Strasser said the Lady Zs will field a freshman team in addition to a JV.

Coaching staff

Stacey Wilson returns as varsity assistant, Chase Brown returns as JV coach, and Traci Honkomp returns as a volunteer coach. A new volunteer coach is Christina Lehman (nee Towne), a 2020 Rochester grad who played collegiately at Goshen College who coach Strasser said will work with the hitters.

Kenzie Bradley, a 2022 Rochester grad, is the new eighth grade coach. Emily Elliott, another Rochester grad, is the new seventh grade coach. The sixth grade coach is to be determined.