LAPEL — The Lapel High School volleyball team always strives to improve from year-to-year — win a county crown, a sectional title and more — and that could mean good news for this season.

The Bulldogs are coming off a strong performance in 2017, during which the team went 21-9 in IHSAA Class 2A play.

Hilary Eppert has been varsity coach for six years. Rebecca Kadinger is her assistant.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery

Eppert’s daughter, Emily Eppert, is one of four seniors on the team that coaches are counting on for leadership.

Emily Eppert along with Isabel Anderson, the team’s setter, Macie Schmitt and Addie Bailey, will anchor the team.

“All of our seniors are super athletic and know how to play the game,” Eppert said. “Isabel will make some great things happen — she goes after every ball.”

Most of the squad played well together in club play in the summer and were ready to get the high school season started, Hilary Eppert said.

In addition to the seniors, the team has some impressive junior players, she said; the team’s front row will be loaded with strong hitters in Delany Peoples, Makynlee Taylor and Zoe Freer.

“We’re just going to have to plug in the rest of the pieces of the puzzle and see what works,” Hilary Eppert said.

Other returning players expected to be part of this year’s team include juniors Makenna Bauer and Anna Willis, and sophomore Avery Bailey. Other players expected to be on varsity squad include Karlie Hutton, Katie Lehman and Madi Carpenter.

Hilary Eppert also expects each player to be capable on defense, an area that could be a strong point for Lapel.

While most of the roster is set, Hilary Eppert held open tryouts for anyone interested, but most girls who wanted to play were already involved in summer games.

“The kids know who is going to play where; it’s just those final few pieces we’re still trying to figure out mostly in that back row area,” Hilary Eppert said.

As someone who played volleyball at Yorktown High School, Hilary Eppert knows the game and feels this year’s team has a shot at some great achievements.

She said she loves coaching all the girls, and it’s also neat having her daughter on the team.

There is no special treatment for family members, Hilary Eppert said. If anything, she pushes her daughter more and tends to be a little tougher on her because she knows her so well.

“We battle at times, but I wouldn’t trade this coaching opportunity for the world,” Eppert said.

The Lapel varsity volleyball team has an away match at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29, at Tipton High School.