ESKO - They have it all. From setting, passing and hitting, to height, depth and confidence, the Esko volleyball team is atop the world this fall.
Just watch them play and you'll see exactly why.
"This team has the most depth since I've been here," said fourth-year head coach Desiree DeLeon. "We're excited to get going."
A year ago, the Eskomos finished the season with an impressive 26-5 mark to go along with their second-place finish in the Polar League and runner-up spot in Section 7AA.
They want to top those stats this year, however.
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"We want the Polar League title, and our goal is to get to the section championship and the state tournament," said DeLeon. "We have a lot of talent, experience and are thinking big things."
Esko lost just one senior from a year ago, go-to captain Kayla Handevidt, yet return a laundry list of experienced players, including senior setter Keely Deadrick.
And like a quarterback is to football, a setter is to volleyball.
"Keely is just a tremendous player with so many skills," said DeLeon. "She gets the ball where it needs to be. She makes it easy and girls have so much confidence in her - that's the biggest thing. She makes everything flow."
"We play like a huge group of friends," said Deadrick, who is hoping to play college volleyball next year and has been getting boatloads of letters from prospective colleges. "There are areas to improve, but hopefully we'll be ready."
With Deadrick calling the shots, senior hitters Lydia Pelletier, Alyson Glumac, Janae Beaudot and junior six-footer Stephanie Bandelin also return to the court for Esko this fall.
"All of our hitters can hit from anywhere," said DeLeon. "They're talented enough to be moving around. We've got some power."
Bandelin agreed with her coach.
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"We have so much energy and we feed off it," she said Tuesday between matches of the Polar League Jamboree. "We're so excited to get back out here. We gel so well."
After all, most of the Eskomos have been playing together since they were kids.
"We always worked so well and it really makes it easy," added Pelletier, one of six seniors. "We have that chemistry and we're ready. We're working it this year. We want this."
The Eskomos will travel to Hermantown to begin their season at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31, before welcoming Northwestern for the home-opener at 7 p.m. Sept. 7.
"I love our team," said Deadrick with a smile after the cruising through the Jamboree. "We're going to be ready this year. It should be fun; we're all definitely looking forward to it."
