A culture of winning volleyball and a group of returning players who in some cases have been playing the game together since fifth grade gives the Noxon High School volleyball team reason to be optimistic about the upcoming year.

Despite the transfer of one of their top players, Avery Burgess, the team and their long-time coach remain confident and ready as the 2021 season gets underway this weekend.

Minus the skills of Burgess, who is now playing for the Thompson Falls team after transferring this summer, the Red Devils are counting on the equally explosive play of returning senior Riley Richter, as head coach Dana Grupenhoff is busy preparing the squad for what will be her 31st year of coaching volleyball.

“We will field a pretty young team overall," she said of the 10-plus who turned out for opening practices. “What makes this group special is the way they play together, some of them have been together since the fifth grade.”

Along with Richter, the Red Devils will be counting on solid team play from the squad’s other senior, Vanessa Horner as well as sophomore Mia Vogal.

The youth of the team and the promise for the future can be found in the two sophomores, one freshman and three eighth graders who are on this year’s roster.

“They’ve not only played together for several years, they have had consistent coaching along the way,” Grupenhoff said. “We hope we are building a culture of winning, where everyone is of the same mindframe and believes ‘yes, we can win.’”

As to strengths she expects to utilize on this year’s team, Grupenhoff, who keeps practice lively and vocal, the veteran coach points to the team’s solid core of passers and diggers.

“We have some of the best hitters,” she said. “But you also have to be able to serve and pass well, all things we work hard on.”

She said a key to this year’s success will be how well the group continues to gel into one unit and commits to the team effort.

“I think everyone is good,” she said. “We are in a tough district and have to be ready to go against everyone. I wouldn’t want to single out one or two teams, we consider them all to be good.”

The Lady Red Devils will open their season on the road this weekend with an appearance in the St. Ignatius tournament against an always tough field.

They then play a pair of road matches, at Superior Sept. 4 and at Hot Springs Sept. 9.

They play their first home match Sept. 11 when they host St. Regis at the Noxon gym.