Volleyball: Willmar Cardinals are serious CLC contenders
· Yahoo Sports
Aug. 28—WILLMAR — Excuse Leah Brogdon for being especially optimistic about the 2026 volleyball season.
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The Wilmar head coach has perhaps her most-talented and experienced squad in her six seasons as head coach.
The Cardinals are led by Michigan State recruit Ellery DeBoer along with Nora Mitteness, Maddison Molacek and Isley Ripperger.
Add in sophomore middle hitter Malea Hansen and ninth-grader Jordan Blahosky and Brogdon believes Willmar has the makings of a Central Lakes Conference and sectional championship contender.
"We have most of our returning players from last season that have a lot of experience," Brogdon said. "Ellery, Nora, Maddie and Isley are our four senior captains and ready to compete and help our team be successful."
DeBoer is a 5-foot-11 senior setter who made the coaches' association Class AAA All-State team as well as a four-time West Central Tribune All-Area team member and the Minnesota Star Tribune's All-Minnesota girls volleyball team as a junior. She's one of the top setters in the class of 2027 in the country.
Mitteness, is a 6-0 senior middle-hitter who earned all-conference honors in 2025 when Willmar went 8-2 in the Central Lakes to place second and was 21-9 overall.
Molacek is a 5-9 senior right-side hitter who was a state discus champ in June at the Class AA track and field championships in St. Michael.
Ripperger is a 5-5 senior defensive specialist.
Blahosky is a 5-4 ninth-grader and defensive specialist who won the Cardinal Award and was the team's rookie of the year.
Hansen is a 5-10 sophomore middle hitter.
"We will be a solid team in the back row and (be a) strong front-row squad as well," said Brogdon, who has a 104-44 career record and whose assistant coaches will be Terrin DeBoer, Taylor Rambow and Brittany Steffer. "It will be a fun year for us and we're looking forward to it."
Besides the aforementioned key returnees, Sydney Zuidema, Brooklyn Schnichels and Harper Wilson are all players to watch. They're expected to help replace the losses of key 2026 graduates Brielle Ogdahl and Mallory Beier. Ogdahl was an All-Area pick last season.
Zuidema is a 5-9 freshman outside hitter.
"Sydney uses her length as an athlete (who) is super competitive and will be a strong outside (hitter) for us this year," Brogdon said.
Schnichels is an eighth-grader. She's a 5-8 outside hitter. Her older sister Sydney Schnichels will be a senior on the University of Michigan volleyball team this fall.
"Brooklyn is a super competitor and a smart hitter," Brogdon said. "She has grown so much as a player and it will be fun to see her on the outside this year."
Wilson a 5-7 junior defensive specialist.
"Harper is a hard worker, ... is very scrappy and will help us on defense," Brogdon said.
The Cardinals hope it all adds up to a CLC championship team. It's something the Cardinals have done 11 times since 1984, with the last coming in 2022.
Willmar also has won or tied for conference titles in 2021, '20, '18, '17, '05, '04, 1990, 1986, '85 and '84.