The Lincoln Land Loggers volleyball team will start the 2019 season ranked No. 12 in the country. The team has made nationals the last four years, the second longest streak in the country.

“It sounds like a cop-out, but I don’t go in with expectations,” said Head Coach Jim Dietz. “Expectations create blind spots, and those are dangerous.”

The Loggers have the tallest team they have ever had, Dietz said.

“That height will eventually translate to an advantage at the net,” Dietz said of the team that should have an advantage in blocking.

However, the Loggers will be adjusting to the departure of All American Lainey Jackson this season.

Jackson graduated last year. She previously set the school’s record for most assists in a single season.

This team will be very young, with 14 freshmen and only four sophomores returning for a second year.

Sophomore Taylor Thomas believes the freshman have stepped up and played their part well. She says that being ranked puts a “target on our back for every team.” Her expectations of the team aren’t changed by the rankings, though.

The change from high school to college is big, and Dietz acknowledges that there have been some “communication hiccups”. The team has only been practicing for three weeks, and Dietz believes that communication will improve with time.

Both Dietz and Thomas believe that the Loggers will have a successful season if they can work well as a team and not be as worried about stats and playing time as they are about winning.