Chickasaws split at triangular

New faces traveling to different places.
The New Hampton Chickasaw volleyball team will feature a fresh-faced roster in 2020.
Chickasaw head coach Jess Geerts unveiled her 2020 squad last Tuesday at a triangular in Jesup. New Hampton split its two matches – losing to the host J-Hawks and defeating area rival Nashua-Plainfield.
Thus the journey begins in what will be another winding route filled with obstacles that will present challenges along the talented netters’ path to success.
They’ll need to overcome those bumps in the road in order to keep a tremendous tradition of success alive.
Geerts, a 2000 Turkey Valley grad who has been the head coach at New Hampton since 2007, has the task of replacing four all-conference spikers from its terrific season of a year ago.
It’s been a heck of a three-year run for New Hampton.
The 2019 squad won a school record 40 matches and reached the regional finals for the third consecutive year. Sandwiched in between those three deep postseason runs was a state tournament berth accomplished in 2018. That was the first state tournament appearance in 45 years for a Chickasaw volleyball team.
If there’s one thing fans and spectators will notice right away about New Hampton’s matches this fall is a steady line of substitutes that will pour in and out of each game. That constant revolving rotation will keep opponents on their toes and allow the Chickasaw coaching staff the opportunity to see which players have what it takes to see considerable court time.
“Tuesday was a great night for us to see where we are at. We have a lot of talent and could run several different rotations with different people so needless to say, it has been tough,” said Geerts.
Jesup, ranked 10th in 2A, swept New Hampton – 25-19, 25-12, 25-17. The Chickasaws earned their first win of the season by downing N-P by scores of 25-16, 25-16 and 25-17.
— For more on this story, see the Sept. 1 Tribune