Falcons look to be in race for 4th straight CWC large title Pacelli will get acquainted with new CWC foes By MIKE KEMMETER of The Gazette The three-time defending Central Wisconsin Conference large division champions have a trio of starters returning and Amherst could be in the thick of the race for another conference title. The Falcons, who are now coached by Kelly Asp, have senior All-CWC setter Becca Konkol and senior left-side hitters Jenni Orsund and Katie Bohm back after the three started a year ago. Senior Ali Zajackowski and junior Jamie Krutza, who will be a setter as well as a right-side hitter, are also back from last year's varsity team. "We have a lot of talent, but I really don't have a true gauge of the other teams in the conference," Asp said. "I'm asking them to do some different things and they've adjusted." "If we go just on talent, we should do very well. I'm looking forward to playing Weyauwega-Fremont because they always have a strong program." Three players who are new to the varsity level are stepping into starting roles for Amherst - juniors Amber Juris (middle hitter) and Molly Simpkins (middle hitter), and sophomore Caitlin Young (right side hitter). Other newcomers include juniors Suzie Helbach (left side hitter) and Emily Groshek (right side hitter), and sophomore Lyndsey Allen. Junior Danielle Abbott and sophomore Jeanna Baker will play at both the varsity and junior varsity levels. The Falcons open their season Saturday, hosting the Amherst Invitational. "It will be a good indicator of how we need to change things," Asp said. "Right now, the offense is like a puzzle. We're still moving things around." Asp, who played volleyball at Amherst in 1987 under her maiden name Spierings, also played collegiately at UW-Green Bay and Bemidji State (Minn.). Asp takes over the program from Gregg Jensen, who resigned as the volleyball coach at the school. "We have a phenomenal coaching staff," Asp said, talking of Mike Juris and Barb Krutza. "Gregg Jensen, who left the position, has been wonderful. To walk into a staff like that, you don't get that opportunity often." Pacelli The Cardinals are flying blind into their 2000 season. Pacelli, now a member of the Central Wisconsin Conference's large division, hasn't seen many of its conference foes before and doesn't know what to expect in its first season in the WIAA. "We absolutely have no idea. We're so young, half of our junior varsity are freshmen," Pacelli coach Shelli Johnson said. "We're just so young. "We're going in so blind. We don't have any idea." While the Cardinals may be young, with three returnees and no seniors, Johnson isn't concerned with the young roster. "I'm not too worried because they're experienced. It's not that they've never played before." Returning for Pacelli are juniors Toni Johnson (setter), Katie Tomsyck (middle hitter) and Kim Schulist (outside hitter). Junior Val Glodowski and sophomores Emily Radomski, Erin Ligman, Kate Zelhofer, Becky Fisher and Stephanie Johnson are new to Pacelli's varsity. Johnson, Tomsyck, Zelhofer and Fisher played volleyball in the offseason for a club team, coach Johnson said. While Pacelli's schedule includes mostly CWC opponents, the Cardinals revisit their days in the WISAA Saturday at the Diocesan Meet, at Chippewa Falls McDonell.