All-conference laden Comets getting ready for state volleyball tourney

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Last time the Charles City Comets advanced to the State Volleyball Tournament, Sara Martin was the team’s manager.

You know? Kind of like the title Joe Maddon holds with the Chicago Cubs.

“I didn’t play much varsity that year, but I wanted to go down with the team,” said Martin, who was a sophomore in 2014, when the Comets lost in four sets in the quarterfinals to Marion.

“I wanted to be around the older girls to see how they handled themselves down there,” Martin said. “I wanted to see the competition at that level and learn from it.”

Martin’s role with the Comets for this year’s state tournament has expanded a bit.

“It doesn’t feel real going back to state again,” said Martin, the team’s starting right-side attacker, who recently made the honorable mention list as part of the Northeast Iowa Conference Volleyball All-Conference selections.

“This time is going to be a different experience, but I know what to expect,” Martin said.

Martin wasn’t the only player honored by NEIC.

Senior outside hitter Katie Foster, senior middle hitter Kelsi Crooks, junior outside hitter Tayler Schmidt and junior setter Sydney Loeckle were are first-team selections — the most of any team in the conference.

Charles City sophomore middle hitter Jodie Sindlinger was a second-team selection.

Foster was also a first-team selection last season. But she sustained a knee injury near the end of the season, which hampered her play in the regionals and — with subsequent surgery — eventually shut her down for the track and softball seasons that followed.

“I’m 100 percent right now,” said Foster who, nonetheless, wears a knee brace.

Foster was a second-team all-conference selection in 2014.

“This team is much more diverse,” she said. “We may have had one or two dominant players back then. Now, we can attack from all over.

“We also have a solid back row. We have a real scrappy bunch back there.”

If all goes well for the Comets, they will have three more matches left this season. For Foster, it will at most be three more matches for her scholastic volleyball career.

“I’m not going to play volleyball in college,” said Foster, who plans to run track for Northern Iowa.

Like thrower Martin, Foster — a sprinter — will be a returning state-qualifier in track and field.

“Running track in college is something I always saw myself doing,” said Foster, who placed second at state in the 100-meter dash her sophomore year.

The Comets will face Bishop Heelan on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. to start the quarterfinal round at the

US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.

“They were in a tournament we were also in this year, but we never got to face them,” Charles City head coach Sue Hoefer said. “I’ve talked to some coaches who have played them. From what we learned is that they’re a left-side hitting team … play great defense.”

In the final Class 4A Iowa Volleyball Rankings, the Crusaders ended up No. 4 with the Comets at No. 5.

“Really, at this point rankings don’t mean a thing except for seeding purposes,” Hoefer said.

The Comets are due to hold several practices this weekend before a final tune-up on Monday.

“We’re going to work on serve receiving … blocking … not really anything new,” Hoefer said. “We keep our practices about the same throughout the year.”