St. Mary Lake Leelanau finished the 2023 season with a 62.7% winning percentage.
This year, the Eagles are looking to improve their record. However, they will be doing so minus three key players who graduated in June.
Leah Fleis, who made the Division 4 all-region team and the Enterprise Dream Team, helped St. Mary take a set from Leland in the district tournament.
It was the only set the Comets lost until the state finals.
“We took one set from Leland in the districts and would like to win a few more like this,” coach Alyssa Bunek said. “We’d love to win a district.”
The Eagles will also be missing setter Della Bunek, a Dream Team honorable mention.
However, there will be new leadership, with four seniors taking the court. They are Kyla Barnowski, Cathryn Mikowski — both Dream Team honorable mentions — as well as Maggie Ursu and Natalie Albu.
“Our goal is to be as scrappy as we can and improve own game,” Bunek said.
To this end, the coach has been working with freshman Lydia Bramer, who is taking setter duties. Juniors on the roster include Mackenzie Schaub, Bridget Kohler, Kaelyn Kelenske, Madelyn Hamilton, Daisy Serrano and Grace Mitchell.
“(Mitchell) will be joining us later in September. She’s recuperating from a knee injury,” Bunek said.
The Eagles participate in a four-way contest at Suttons Bay yesterday. They will travel to Lake City for a tri-meet today and will go to ; travel downstate for a meet at Bay City Western.
The team will return to Lake Leelanau next Wednesday, hosting their first home contest versus the Brethren Bobcats.
