It is not the start coach Melisa Blanken wanted to see from the Intermountain Christian School volleyball team, but it doesn't change her expectations for the talented squad.
"We're off to a slow start," she said of the Lions' 4-5 record. "But I think we should be pretty good if we can figure things out."
Those things are how to best use the athletic players on the Lions' roster. ICS lost several players to graduation, but the program returns five starters, four of whom are seniors.
Monica Schwarz, a senior outside hitter; Rebecca Jonert, a senior middle blocker; Ashley Moore, a senior middle blocker; Brooke Anderson, a senior setter and libero; and Rachel Mower, a junior setter, all return to the Lions' lineup. They're joined by junior outside hitter Emily Conger, who has been playing very well in her new role.
Blanken said she is still moving players around as the team tries to find its strongest lineup and said they deliberately chose preseason tournaments that included larger programs.
"I wanted us to have a lot of good competition," she said. "It was a good experience."
Blanken said she's optimistic about the upcoming season.
"I think we should take region again, and we should do pretty well at state," she said. "That's harder to tell because I don't see those teams until we get there."
Saint Joseph Catholic High School was voted No. 2 in that preseason poll, which may surprise some as the team returns just two seniors.
Nikki Laure, a four-year starter at setter, and Elizabeth Baker, who was a reserve for last year's varsity squad, will provide leadership to the young team. Junior middle hitter Katie Wiechmann will have an impact, as will junior middle Laura Mol and junior opposite hitter Michelle Chambers.
"I don't know how we'll do," said coach Ray Franklin with a laugh. "We have 18 girls on the team and nine are freshman."
Most of the athletes have experience with club volleyball, which translates into a more experienced team than one might expect from the young players.
"The only thing I'm hoping for is to stay competitive," Franklin said. "I think ICS is the favorite; they're stacked and they've been playing together for years. I'm really interested to see how our region is going to be. We should be right in the mix."
Salt Lake Lutheran was voted No. 3 in the poll despite losing two all-state players to graduation.
Mark Williams said he also expects his team to vie for the region's top honors.
"I'm pleasantly surprised with the way the girls have stepped up," he said. "The girls are really going after it."
The Lynx are led by senior middle hitter Patti Hicks, senior outside hitter Heather Hoyer, senior outside/setter Mindy King and senior middle hitter Brannigan Roeber.
"We are excited for the season," he said.
The region lost Layton Christian when the school moved to 2A, which hurt the strength of the region because the Eagles had a strong program.
Christian Heritage should be the region's sleeper with the return of five seniors and a junior. Talitha Catlett, Catherine Cook, Sophia Dozier, Tessa Pitts, Sasha Voinovich and Hanna Higginson will help keep the region race interesting.
Oakley, West Ridge and Mt. Vernon have programs that get stronger each season and are capable of causing headaches for those top teams. This year, the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind will compete in the region at the junior varsity level. The school eventually hopes to provide varsity sports.
Region 17 preseason rankings
1. Intermountain Christian
2. Saint Joseph
3. Salt Lake Lutheran
4. Christian Heritage
5. Oakley
6. West Ridge Academy
7. Mount Vernon
8. Utah School for Deaf and Blind
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com