The boys volleyball program is on their way into another season this spring. After coming off an incredible 2022 season with winning, St. Dominic’s first-ever boys’ volleyball state championship. The team was and will continue to be led by coaches Maggie Allen and Lynn Zelnis. 

“My favorite part of coaching the boys is the power and the amount of fun we have on the daily,” Varsity Head Coach, Maggie Allen said.

Coach Allen has coached the St. Dominic boys since 2015. This is her 9th season at Dominic. She loves coaching the boys and being a part of the fun environment they create. Last year the boys had a tough season facing hard teams such as DeSmet, along with Parkway West in the state championship.

“Our preparation for games was consistent in training, high energy, and a belief that we could win,” Coach Allen said. 

Coach Allen and the team made sure to have high focus in the postseason. They had many practices all week long, and practices on the day of their games in order to prepare for the other teams. The boys’ hard work and dedication sure did pay off when they brought home the championship plaque. 

“Seeing that banner every time I am in the gym reminds me of what I consider to be the happiest high school memory I’ll ever have,” Junior Libero, Noah Schuessler said.

Noah was the only sophomore on the team last year. He never would’ve thought that he would be a part of a state championship. Noah’s favorite memory from the season was the few hours after they had won the championship. He describes it as a feeling of happiness and a sense of relief. Winning the State championship was one of the most fun and memorable memories for Noah, along with a lot of St. Dominic students last year as well. 

“All 12 of us plus the coaches truly put our blood, sweat, and tears into everything we did,” Noah Schussler said. 

Noah considers last year’s team to be very experienced, and in some way he looked up to all of his teammates last year. Especially MVP of the State tournament, Luke Zelnis. They pushed each other to be the best they can every day. 

With the new season upon us, there are many things to look forward to. Spring tryouts are already on their way, and it’s exciting to see the new 2023 boys volleyball team. 

“I am looking forward to seeing who makes up the roles on varsity this season and what seniors will be leaders this year,” Coach Allen said.

This year, the team is trying to have a challenging schedule. They are also making some goals and Coach Allen is also excited to see the team come together with all their ideas. 

“Now that I am one of the older guys on the team I am really looking forward to helping this team in any way I can,” Noah Schussler said. 

The program lost seven seniors out of their 12 players last year. Rebuilding the team will definitely be a challenge that Noah, his teammates, and coaches are willing to take on. They plan on keeping that same, hard-driven attitude and mentality this year as they did in their winning, memorable, and fun last season as well.