Volleyball team has six members on All-RVC team
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
The recent dominance of the East Troy High School girls volleyball team when it comes to the Rock Valley Conference’s North Division cannot be questioned.
East Troy has seven straight RVC titles to its credit – and this week, the Trojans reaped a few more benefits for that effort when All-RVC voting results were released.
The Trojans landed six girls on All-RVC North squads, including co-Player of the Year Brianna Scuric.
Scuric, a sophomore middle hitter, was joined on the first team by fellow sophomore defensive specialist/libero Mati Jakscht.
Named to the second team were junior setter Izzy Martino and sophomore middle blocker Julian Friedrichs. Senior middle blocker Natalee Bearce and junior defensive specialist Katie Zewiske were named honorable mention.
Scuric led the Trojans with in kills (522) and aces (66). She also had 37 total blocks and 361 digs.
“It was a huge season for Brianna,” East Troy coach Jeremy Weis said. “She was our main offensive weapon, and she was our go-to girl when times got tough.
“I will be challenging her during the off-season to learn and master different hitting routes. That will make her more of a complete player.”
Even though she’s just a sophomore, Weis said he already sees the other girls on the team looking to Scuric for leadership.
And she’s clearly capable of delivering just that, he said.
“She is such a great teammate,” Weis said. “The girls on the team gravitate toward her whenever they can. That is something very special about Brianna. She is also our best six-rotation player.”
The co-player of the year honor, which she shared with McFarland’s Emma Eckel, shows that other coaches in the North Division have similar thoughts about what Scuric can bring to the table, Weis said.
“(Earning that honor) speaks volumes of her,” he said. “To be able to handle all of the pressures and handle them with as much class as she has, that is priceless.
“The other coaches talk about how much of a complete six-rotation player that she is. They were also impressed with her poise on the floor.”
Jakscht led the Trojans in digs (563). She also had 27 aces and 85 assists.
“Mati really great into the back-row leader that I was hoping that she would become,” Weis said. “It took a bit of a transition, but she came through with flying colors. I’m very proud of her.
“She really bought into what I was asking her to do. She focused on her technique and really started to understand the game better as the season went on. She did a great job of reading the hitters and staying outside of the block.”
And with two years left, there is plenty of room for growth in her game as well, Weis said.
“Mati has a really good chance to be as good as some of the best passers that have ever come through this program,” he said. “That speaks highly of her game.”
Other statistics from among the all-conference picks were:
- Martino: 892 assists, 260 digs, 36 blocks, 49 aces and 45 kills;
- Friedrichs: 137 kills, nine aces, 89 blocks, 26 digs;
- Bearce: 110 kills, 22 aces, 57 blocks, 68 digs; and
Zewiske: 144 kills, 38 aces, 21 blocks, 313 digs.
With five of the six selections returning next year, there’s plenty of optimism as the Trojans seek their sixth straight RVC crown and an eighth consecutive trip to the sectional.
“It is a great thing to have as many girls coming back,” Weis said. “We will be looking to expand their role. We will be expecting great things from them, all things that they are capable of doing.
“The biggest challenge will be for them to continue to do the things that they need to do to help them be the best that they can be.”
