by Vern Hollister - Correspondent

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Nearly forty volleyball players received a jump-start on their season last week. Crandon volleyball coaches Tami Sprenger and Kellie Wagoner took advantage of allowed coach-athlete contact days and Pacesetter to host three days of volleyball drills and learning.

Camp director Katie Kastenmeier, assistant coach of women's volleyball at Lakeland College in Sheyboygan, spent three full days conducting learning sessions. In the morning from 9 to noon, she taught nine middle school volleyballers. In the afternoon, from 1 to 4, Kastenmeier directed 25-30 high school students.

Pacesetter advertises itself as "serving the youth of the Midwest." Based in Paynesville, Minnesota, their "fundamentals for champions" program reaches Iowa, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, and Minnesota.

Spenger said that the Pacesetter camps don't cost as much as other camps. "This camp, when they started it, was designed to be affordable. It's very affordable, $60 for three days, and there's no driving for a long distance. Some camps are as high as $300."

Kastenmeier played her high school volleyball at Beaver Dam and then at Green Bay. She now has completed her second coaching season at Lakeland.

"I was contacted through Pacesetter," she said, of being asked to conduct the Crandon camp. "I do three weeks every summer. Monday," Kastenmeier said, "we worked on passing and setting; Tuesday, offensive formations and blocking; Wednesday, defense and games."

What Kastenmeier did not include were the pick-up games. She asked if any of the high school and varsity camp-goers wanted to just play volleyball. Tuesday morning, they met at 8 a.m. to play for an hour before the middle school camp.

"They (Pacesetter) do a lot of team building, too," Spenger said.

At the conclusion of each camp's session, players vote for the most improved player and most valuable player both in the morning and the afternoon.

Pleased with the turnout, first year head coach Sprenger said, "To get this many girls is difficult with family vacations and other things. These are contact days. We can assist her."

Sprenger said that two Cardinals teams played this summer in an Antigo league. She could watch but could offer no advice.

During Pacesetter, she and Wagoner assisted, though they left the planning and organization to Kastenmeier. Players quickly picked up drills for passing, serving, counting to twenty the successful hits, scurrying to the net's other side, and back. Kastenmeier lined them up alongside the net and requested they reach out to touch it with their fingertips. From where their feet were located, they could jump up and spike or play defense without fouling. "Jump straight up and land where you're jumping," Kastenmeier directed. Participating players looked as if they were on pogo sticks.

The final day and time included games, using the techniques and plays they had picked up.

For Wagoner, after a year away, and for Sprenger and the potential candidates, official practices begin August 13. They'll have a two-hour session from 7 to 9 a.m., take a break until 10 a.m. and practice from then until noon.

Though this is Sprenger's first year as head coach, she coached the JV team last year and the freshman team for six years before that.

"I'm excited," she said.

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