Tag: volleyball

Courageous coach: 22-year-old Hartman exceled in interim position for Blue Hawks

Dickinson State interim volleyball coach Jennifer Hartman, center, speaks with junior Linaya Schroeder during a game against Valley City State on Oct. 4 at Scott Gymnasium. Hartman, just 22 years old and still pursuing her education at DSU, was named the team’s interim head coach after head coach Maura Bronte resigned on Sept. 18

Perhaps no person in southwest North Dakota sports exhibited more courage than Jennifer Hartman did in the fall of 2012. The 22-year-old former Dickinson State volleyball standout was put in a position she had never expected less than a year after she completed her final season playing for the Blue Hawks.

On Sept. 18, the day of a road match against Jamestown College, Hartman was named DSU’s interim head volleyball coach following the resignation of second-year head coach Maura Bronte.

“I was surprised,” said Hartman, who is still a student and was in her first season as an assistant coach. “That’s the best word. I went into a little bit of a shock state.”

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Grove is killin’ it: DHS senior goes from secondary player as a junior to senior offensive leader

Dickinson High senior outside hitter Abby Grove hits over a Minot High defender on Sept. 8 at the DHS gymnasium. In two seasons, Grove has gone from a part-time varsity player to the Midgets’ offensive leader.

Abby Grove has a certain confidence on the volleyball court. The Dickinson High senior’s poise has been built through both steady and sudden improvements. In Grove’s case, confidence is a new development — and it’s one she and the Midgets have used to their advantage this season.

“I just expect to do well and I want to do good, no matter what,” Grove said. “I figured this year might be a good year for me.”

The 5-foot-10 outside hitter, who was only inserted into the Midgets’ varsity rotation as a contributor halfway through her junior season, is at the top of her game.

Grove has a team-high 357 kills, an average of 11.2 per match and more than double any of her teammates. Senior Ali Moody is second on the team with 175 kills.

Using a powerful and directional spike on her attacks, Grove has accumulated a .308 hitting percentage while also playing well defensively. She is third on her team in digs (232) and aces (40) and has 21 total blocks.

Continue reading “Grove is killin’ it: DHS senior goes from secondary player as a junior to senior offensive leader”