Potters in hunt for league glory

The Morton volleyball team is armed for another season as one of the best in the area.

Despite playing without a McGlaughlin for the first time since 2000, a strong group of returnees have the Potters positioned to contend for Mid-Illini and Class 3A regional championships.

Under first-year head coach Michelle Hahn, Morton will try for its first league crown since ’06 and its seventh regional plaque in the last eight years.

There are several players back who were key players on last year’s 23-12-1 team, the sixth year in a row the Potters reached at least 20 victories.

“They work well together,” Hahn said of the players. “They’re very determined to push each other.”

Along the front row, sophomore Sarah Livingston and seniors Heidi Schoenbein and Shelbi Ummel give Morton a lot of options.

Livingston, whom Hahn said is a very skilled all-around player who does not look like a sophomore, was a second-team all-M-I choice in ’09.

Livingston had a team-high 80 aces as a freshman. The outside hitter also was in the top three on the squad with 175 kills, 45 blocks and 158 digs.

Schoenbein, a co-captain, also was a second-team all-conference recipient a year ago after leaping for 49 blocks as a middle hitter.

Another middle hitter, Ummel, topped the Potters with 50 blocks in her second varsity campaign.

In a 6-2 system, Hahn said senior Kathryn Hess and junior Kristin Hoecker will be the setters.

Hess was the leader the previous season with 234 assists.

Senior Courtney Boster is lined up as the libero after a 119-dig season. She has a quality that many of Morton’s players possess.

“A lot of my girls are scrappy in practice going after balls,” said Hahn.

Junior Janie Backs is another defensive-minded player targeting a regular role.

A player the Potters are hoping to get back soon is junior outside hitter Kelsey Kirk, who is out with a fractured ankle.

The other team captain returns the third-most kills from last year. Hahn said Kirk has kept a positive attitude and done as many strengthening exercises as she can.

The rest of the Morton roster includes: seniors Kayla Gray and Allison Altenberger and juniors Grace Uhde, Emilie Dierks and Brianna Mormann.

The new Potterdome gym floor will not quite be ready for Thursday’s opener, so the match with Lincoln has been moved to Logan County.

The two-day Edwardsville Tiger Classic over the weekend will give the team and its new coach a lot of matches quickly to see where they stand.

Hahn said the girls are excited to look at someone else across the net.

“It’s nice before we get into conference play to get the kinks worked out,” said Hahn.

Morton was picked first in the league by the Journal Star last week, ahead of rivals Washington and Metamora. Hahn said that ranking gave the girls a little push.

The athletes are focused on being in the No. 1 position at the end of the year, rather than resting on the preseason accolades.

Although not familiar with the conference, Hahn said from what she has seen from her players, “I do think (a title) is attainable.”

Shannon McGlaughlin, a three-time first-team all-conference player, now at Illinois State University, was the primary graduation loss from a season ago. She was in the top five in four career categories.

Elizabeth Kennell, the school’s Female Scholar Senior Athlete of the Year, was the digs leader with 265.

Morton, with a lot of weapons at its disposal, is charged up for a potentially memorable season on the court.