If you’re going to be the best you have to take on the best.
That’s how one gets better.
After opening the season hot with seven wins in its first nine matches the Mt. Pleasant volleyball program have since come down to earth a little bit after dropping three-straight matches at home Thursday. As it was the Oilers fell in straight-sets to sixth-ranked Rockford (Division 1); sixth-ranked Frankenmuth (Division 2) and ninth-ranked Saginaw Valley Lutheran (Division 3) in Thursday’s home quad.
Looking forward the schedule doesn’t get any easier either as the Oilers open conference play on Tuesday night at defending conference champion Grand Blanc.
But, as previously stated, if you’re going to be the best you have to take on the best and that’s exactly what the Oilers have been doing so far this fall season.
“This is a great group that strives to get better every day,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach Julie Maxon of her 2023 Oilers, who opened the season with a loss before reeling off seven-straight victories. “It’s still early in the season, but we’re playing with a lot of energy. We feel like we can play with anybody.”
Over the past decade the Oilers have been exceptionally good as they’ve won numerous district titles. In 2019 the Oilers also advanced to their first-ever quarterfinal. Last season the Oilers finished second in the SVL behind only Grand Blanc and considering the talent that’s returning this fall there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic.
“We have some very good athletes who are good at getting the ball back over the net,” said Maxon.
The Oilers did graduate quite a bit of talent from a season ago led by Aubree Garcia and Katie Schell. Garcia is playing volleyball at Wayne State this fall while Schell is playing at Alma College alongside former Oiler standout Kolbey Boyd. The loss of senior Giselle Wiitanen to injury this fall also hurts as she was very good as a junior.
One season ago this dynamic trio accounted for 500-plus kills and 100-plus blocks in the middle.
So far this season junior hitter Finley Helm has been very good as has been sophomore middle Kylie Hutchins and juniors Jaedynn Preston and Briar Zeneberg. Senior outside Abiona Bailey and setters Jenny Sun and Jordyn Egger have also shone well so far.
Big-picture wise the Oilers have big goals as they would like to make a run at the conference title and then put together another lengthy postseason run.
“We have to be ready for every single game,” Maxon added.
The Oilers play at Grand Blanc Tuesday and host Flint Carman-Ainsworth Thursday.