GILMAN VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW - Pirates excited about their new-look, versatile team

Gilman’s volleyball program makes a big turn from being senior heavy in 2024, when there were 10 between the varsity and JV teams, to a roster in 2025 that is filled with juniors and sophomores. But that isn’t a problem for the three seniors who are back and taking over the leadership role or for head coach Janice Komanec and assistant Miia Vick, who see this transition year as the start to some potentially great things for the Pirates. The summer was a good one, according to all involved, as team chemistry was built among the classes and skills improved through two camps, league play in Altoona and a couple of scrimmage days with area squads. Now that the real thing is here, optimism abounds in the new-look Gilman gym. “It’s nice to be back and get everyone back together and seeing all of the girls,” senior Allie Olynick said on Aug. 20 as the team began its third night of practice. “It’s fun seeing everybody want to get better and have the drive. Everybody is athletic on our team and they all want to get better and play a part.” “It’s very exciting,” Komanec said. “I’ve had a lot of people ask me, what do you think? Are you worried? I think it’s super exciting because we do have such an athletic smart group of kids in the school right now and just really good kids.” Gilman had a tough opening to the season Tuesday but got a great gauge on what they need to improve on going up against some outstanding competition at the Medford Invitational. The Pirates are back at it today, Thursday, with the annual Thorp triangular, which includes Owen-Withee. The first best-of-five dual match is a non-conference contest at Athens on Tuesday, Sept. 2. The Pirates start the season with 21 girls in the program and more than half, in Komanec’s eyes, being capable of at least contributing at the varsity level. As the first one to two weeks of the season progress, the coaches are expecting to have to make some tough decisions as to who will play at what level, at what position and how much. But it’s good to have options and Gilman thinks it does. “We have lots of open spots,” senior Aubrey Steinbach said. “Allie is our one returning starter, then we have a couple girls who played varsity. It’s a young team but we can still do it. Hopefully we can be third-year regional champs.” In terms of experience, Olynick certainly leads the list having worked with the varsity the previous two years. Steinbach and Mylie Stephens round out the small senior class. Both worked with the varsity last year. Juniors Kylee Copenhaver, Aubrey Mann and Addison Vick held contributing roles on last year’s 18-11 team that won the WIAA Division 5 regional title and pushed Columbus Catholic to four games in the sectional semifinal. From there, most of the players pushing their way into varsity consideration are sophomores. Junior Raygen Soper is in that mix as well. Those sophomores making an impact include Brynn Komanec, Shae Drier, Kennedy Buske, Averie Olynick, Norah Noonan and Reece Weir. Despite its overall youth, one of the team’s emerging strengths is its versatility. “Going to league all summer, we would legally sub, but its way more than 18 (per set),” coach Komanec said. “We were switching two people every rotation, but it was fantastic because we’re not 100% sure who’s going to play where. We have multiple girls who can play two positions well or even three. Everyone has been willing to try anything. But we have been super honest that the opportunities are open. We have at least 12 girls that at some point in my years of coaching would’ve had a varsity spot on certain teams. But we have to narrow this down to eight or nine.” “It was a good starting point for all of the new girls getting mixed in together,” Allie Olynick said. “We all hadn’t really played with each other before in a group like that.” “Everybody played some old spots and some new spots,” Steinbach said. “Everybody kind of got thrown around everywhere to see who was best where.” The seniors said the team’s offensive hitting ability should be one of its major strengths. Whether it winds up on the outside or from the middle, Gilman should have some options for its setters to go at the net, like Allie Olynick, Vick, Copenhaver, Mann or Weir. Steinbach and Brynn Komanec are the top candidates to fill some pretty big shoes left by four-year starting setter Abby Chaplinski. Janice Komanec said one of the key decisions the coaches were trying to make in the early going was whether to run a 5-1 offense with one setter or incorporate both setters in a 6-2 offense. Steinbach also could fill a vital backrow defensive role if needed. “We have some height for our size of school,” coach Komanec said. “We have to think about, how can we keep our options open if we need to move blockers for a strong hitter? There are lots of options and hopefully our girls are willing at mid-game to switch.” Efficient setting and hitting doesn’t happen without good serve receive, passing and defense and Komanec said that, as always, will be a major key to the team’s success. “It’s going to come down to our defense and our passing and who’s ready to serve receive,” Komanec said. “In my opinion, serve receive is the toughest job in high school volleyball. It’s all going to come down to that ball control on serve receive because we have hitting options. We have girls who want to hit.” “We have a group that isn’t afraid to get on the floor,” Steinbach said. The other early strength the coaches and players see is the cohesion that was built during the summer between the girls in all of the grade levels. That is something that has been highlystressed in the program in recent years and that culture seems to have taken hold. “We all get along very well,” Stephens said. “There is no frustration or anything. We all just shake it off and keep going. We’re all ready to learn. We’re all very open-minded to try new things, learn new spots. We can be put wherever we’re needed.” “It’s very exciting because they really are a fun group,” Janice Komanec said. “My hope is that, and they have so far, the culture will continue of just being truly supportive of one another and wanting to make memories, have fun together and compete together.” Gilman went 4-3 last fall in the Eastern Cloverbelt Conference, good for a fourthplace tie with Neillsville. After back-toback losses to Neillsville and Loyal as the season turned from September to October, Gilman found its groove, including a rally from a 2-0 deficit that beat Colby. The Pirates went 9-2 in the home stretch, with its only losses being to Columbus Catholic, who once again was dominant in the conference and made it all the way to the WIAA’s first-ever Division 5 state championship match. The Dons beat Newman Catholic 3-1 in a state semifinal. Newman replaces Columbus Catholic as a potential favorite in Gilman’s side of this year’s Division 5 sectional with Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran also standing out as a typically tough team in the bracket. Gilman has won Division 4 and Division 5 regional titles the past two years and have set a third straight title among its top goals for 2025. “Hopefully we’ll have a good chance this year,” Steinbach said. “We have a young team but hopefully we’ll figure it out.” “We’re going to compete,” Komanec said. “That first day is going to be tough. Medford is going to be tough. Stanley-Boyd is good. Columbus is going to be good. The competition that first day is going to be so high, which will be good for us. I need to get the girls to realize we need to compete. If it leads to wins, fantastic. But if it doesn’t, it’s still going to be great for us. The improvement there’s been since June 8, when he had our first contact day, until now has just been leaps and bounds. I just know if we can get a rhythm and a system going, we’re not going to miss any beat from last year. It’s just possibly going to take us time to get there.”