Meet the Railers - the Volleyball edition

 

[August 21, 2023] 

It’s a new era for the Lincoln Community High School volleyball program. Are you ready for it!

The New Era

Beth Guy, Kaylee Lowery, Crystal Wurth

A new coaching staff, led by head coach Kaylee Lowery, has taken over the program. Lowery is joined by assistants Crystal Wurth and Beth Guy. The trio walked into a few familiar faces and a lot of new ones this summer, all eager to succeed.

Last Thursday night the new coaches, along with the players and managers, were all introduced to the fans during the Meet the Railers Volleyball Night. Friends and family carried case after case of water and Gatorade and packed the gym to watch the girls scrimmage on the newly painted Central State Eight logo on the court. While LCHS is no stranger to the CS8, these girls are set to experience the conference for the first time in their careers and that is sure to generate even more excitement and exposure for the current volleyball program.

Experience, energy and a desire for excellence are just a few words that come to mind when describing this group of athletes these coaches look to guide on and off the court.

Coming off a fantastic 30-7 season last year under head coach Emma Derry, there is undoubtedly a lot of excitement surrounding the team this year. The expectations are high, the goals are set and the girls are ready to get to work.

The new era is upon us, folks. You won’t find any Easter eggs in the articles (unless the Swifties lend a hand here) but you better buckle up and get ready to enjoy the ride these girls are about to take you on. It will be epic.

Team Captains

Alyssa Company and Peyton Sasse

Two girls who have already spent a lot of time working on their game in the off-season have been named the team captains. Senior Alyssa Company and junior Peyton Sasse bring leadership and a hard work ethic to a program they both obviously value very much and they are the team captains of this 2023 volleyball team.

Company and Sasse are both eager for the season to get underway and understandably excited to hit the court versus Sacred Heart-Griffin tonight inside Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium, as the season opens immediately with a Central State Eight conference matchup.

“We’re all super excited,” said Company. “We all have personal goals that obviously we’re working on but our main goal is to win State. We are working hard in practice, conditioning a lot, proving ourselves better than we were last year to try to get that situation to happen.”

“I am super excited because I know a bunch of the girls who play in the Central State Eight,” added Sasse. “So it’s kind of fun for me playing against other teammates. It’s really exciting to get back together, I mean even though we have to play against them.”

Both Company and Sasse played on Illini Elite teams this summer, although they were not teammates. They each felt their respective teams could’ve done better at nationals, but nonetheless they will take what they’ve learned and keep moving forward. Given the athletic ability of both of these girls and their desire to work hard, there is no doubt as team captains they will bring energy and leadership to an already well-established group.

The Lady Railers volleyball team also played at Illini Elite in Bloomington during the month of July to prepare for the upcoming school season. Company noted that the Lady Railers have already seen some of the competition they’ll face in the CS8 this season, such as Normal U-High, the team that ended the Lady Railers 2022 season. Lincoln lost to the Pioneers 25-23 and 25-16 in the first game of sectionals on Halloween last year. Sasse had 11 kills versus the Pioneers in that sectional game, trailing just Lily Barry, who led everyone with 13 kills. The Lady Railers saw their season come to an end in Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium last year and that is definitely not in the plans this year.

Company emphasized going into this season the Lady Railers have really been focusing on getting better and working hard.

“We’ve been in the weight room a lot and conditioning a lot more than we did last year,” said Company. “We’ve kind of ran new things this year too. Like we’re not scared to try new things and run new plays.”

“It’s also been nice getting back in the gym together,” added Sasse. “We’ve played together for the past three years so it’s super nice to have the same team and have a lot of trust in each other.”

Meet the rest of the Lady Railers Varsity team

Company and Sasse are joined by stellar athletes from the state runner-up Lady Railers basketball team. Seniors Kloe Froebe, Becca Heitzig, Jenna Bowman and Taryn Stoltzenburg were starters on that team and they bring a strong work ethic and a winning mentality to the volleyball court. Junior Piper Whiteman was also a key member of the Lady Railers basketball team, serving as a starter from time to time and definitely filling in that sixth man role better than anyone. She is just a team player and gives it her best, no matter what her role. Sophomore Lily Holmes is the final Lady Railer basketball player to make the Varsity volleyball team. Holmes made the team as a freshman last season and got some great swings last year among a talented group of upperclassmen. No doubt she’ll make an impact this season as well and continue to learn from her teammates ahead of her.

Addy Qualters is a sensational setter who is also in the senior class. Qualters suffered a fractured nose last Thursday night during the first play of the Varsity scrimmage. A collision with Froebe saw Qualters leave the court bleeding but thankfully it was a straight break and will heal on its own and not crooked, according to her mom, Lindsay. Her mom also added, “She can play volleyball!” Qualters had a broken finger earlier this summer, so with injuries aside, this girl will have a phenomenal senior season.

Arianna Morris rounds out the senior class and she will bring depth to the lineup that already boasts a ton of talent.

Experience runs deep on this Varsity team and with that, two more juniors look to see time on the court. Rebecca Burge and Kendal Long round out the junior class. Burge brings height and Illini Elite experience to the team. Word is that Burge has put in the work and it will show on the court. Long will also bring added depth needed in a season that always sees a lot of matches played.

Lauren Tedrick and Makia Hassebrock complete the roster as sophomores. Tedrick was impressive last season as the backup setter to Qualters. Meanwhile, there is already buzz about Hassebrock and her volleyball skills.

A great group of athletes has been assembled on the court and at the end of the line keeping things in order will be the student managers, senior twins Addison and Avery Rawlins.

The Coach Staff

Kaylee Lowery

Kaylee Lowery has a true passion for volleyball and a resume filled with experience that she brings to LCHS in her first year as head coach of the Lady Railers. Lowery is the former Kaylee Beekman (KB as her dad calls her) from Hartsburg-Emden. She was a Stag who played for legendary volleyball coach Jennifer Hayes and later she served as an assistant coach under Hayes.

As a player, Lowery placed second in the IHSA Class 1A State Tournament in 2014. As an assistant coach, she helped guide the team to a second place finish in the IHSA Class 1A State Tournament in 2018.

Lowery’s junior high volleyball playing career also included an IESA State Championship in 8-1A and a third place finish in 7-1A.

Lowery attended Lincoln Land Community College where her teams finished second and third at the NJCAA D2 National Championships. Lowery briefly coached under Jim Dietz and acted as interim head coach at LLCC for one season.

Lowery has coached at West Lincoln Broadwell the past two seasons, which resulted in a State Championship in the 2022 IESA Class 8-1A State Tournament and a third place finish in the 2023 IESA Class 7-1A State Tournament.

Lowery looks to utilize the knowledge she has learned from others to bring success to the Lady Railers volleyball program.

“As I have played and coached at many levels and for/under many coaches, I have taken with me many lessons that I try to pass onto my players,” said Lowery. “Jennifer Hayes, Mike Swingle, Jenny Holiday, Hannah Werth, and Jim Dietz have all made an impact on the way I coach and what I try to pass on and teach my girls. I, of course, could not do any of this by myself, I am so grateful to have the help of Beth Guy and Crystal Wurth, both of whom had previously coached many of these players at the junior high level.”

Lowery is well aware of the expectations going into her first season at the helm and she is already very excited about the team culture. She is walking into a great group of young student athletes and she knows it.

“The team this year has high goals and expectations,” said Lowery. “Although we have set these goals together at the beginning of the season, we are taking it and focusing on one game at a time. Right now our only focus is tonight. It is not only our first game of the season, but it is also a home game and a conference game. The CS8 is a huge deal and we are eager to be a part of it and go up against some of the toughest competition in the state. We know that the conference is an exciting and challenging one to be a part of. We know that it will only make us better to play against these teams. As we go into our first conference match, I hope that we are able to execute what we have been working on in practice and come out with our first win.”

“The girls hold themselves to a high standard and have high hopes and expectations for not only themselves, but for the team as a whole,” continued Lowery. “My goal is always for the girls to put the team over themselves and luckily I was given a group that is ready to do that. Our team culture is great, the juniors and seniors come in ready to put in the work each and every day which sets the standard and expectation for the freshmen and sophomores, along with giving them an idea of what they are working towards and the shoes they have to fill in the coming years. The upperclassmen are amazing to watch, be around, mentor, and coach. It isn't always the case to have great athletes that are also great role models and students. As a coach, I hope to produce a winning team, but above all else, I hope to give them life lessons that they can carry with them outside of volleyball or after volleyball is over and into their everyday lives.”

“Our team is eager for the season to officially be underway and we are excited to play our first home match, conference game, and season opener all tonight,” concluded Lowery. “We hope to have a big crowd there to support us and help us kick off what we hope to be an exciting, successful, and memorable season! Go Railers!”

Crystal Wurth

Crystal Wurth is a huge fan of Lincoln athletics and she loves the game of volleyball. She feels blessed to return to the LCHS volleyball coach staff, as she started her career as an assistant coach at LCHS fresh out of college. Wurth was also a terrific LCHS softball player and college softball coach. Her daughter, Madi Wurth, is a freshman on the volleyball team.

“I am an alumni of Lincoln Community High School and I had some of the best coaches around that not only taught us the game, but they taught us life long lessons of hard work, perseverance, resiliency, to go after what you want in life and to follow through on things you start,” said Wurth. “I love coaching in Lincoln and giving back to the community in which I grew up. I continue to pass on life lessons to the next generation of student athletes, with every team that I am a part of. I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to work with Coach Lowery. She will do great things with this program.”

Beth Guy

Beth Guy rounds out the coaching staff for the Lady Railers. Guy also lists coaching volleyball as a huge passion from a very young age. Guy started coaching volleyball in the early 2000’s and she’s learned from some of the best coaches around she says.

“Instilling self-confidence, a winning attitude, the importance of teamwork, and pushing our young athletes to grow and learn new skills is what I will continue to do here at Lincoln Community High School,” said Guy. “I couldn’t be more excited to be coaching with Crystal Wurth and alongside Coach Kaylee again, but this time at Lincoln Community High School. This is going to be a season you won’t want to miss!” Guy was on Lowery’s coaching staff at West Lincoln Broadwell in 2022.

The Team Motto

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

First game is TONIGHT at Roy S. Anderson

Freshmen @ 5:00 p.m.
Junior Varsity @ 6:00 p.m.
Varsity @ 7:00 p.m.


Varsity Roster

Taryn Stoltzenburg
Lily Holmes
Lauren Tedrick
Becca Heitzig
Kloe Froebe
Piper Whiteman
Peyton Sasse
Kendal Long
Arianna Morris
Rebecca Burge
Makia Hassebrock
Jenna Bowman
Addy Qualters
Alyssa Company

Student Managers

Addison and Avery Rawlins

Avery Rawlins
Addison Rawlins

Junior Varsity Roster

Grace Schneider
Lauren Tedrick
Mesa McCloud
Parker Maxey
Sydney Ramlow
Lily Holmes
Jada Bree
Faith Eckhardt
Kendal Long
Dabria Dalpoas
Arrington Mauhar
Makia Hassebrock
Lauryn Crawford
Mia Clark
Trinidee Harper
Avery Davenport
Jayden Behrends
Piper Whiteman

Student Managers

Bainca Rohlfs, Olivia Woodhall, Kallie Courtwright

Bianca Rohlfs
Olivia Woodhall
Kallie Courtwright

Freshman Roster

Jocelyn Perkins
Mashell King
Makayla Curry
Grey Gilbert
Meghan Devore
Kate Farnam
Regan Kutz
Bella Curry
Paycen Schaefer
Alena Warren
Madi Wurth
Kindal Helton
Ava Cook

Student Manager

Emmalyn Splitter

[Teena Lowery with photos by Teena Lowery, Kaylee Lowery and Dana Holmes]