NOCTILUCA December 2016

SPORTS Appleton, Wisconsin December 2016 Volume XXll

Issue III Page 11

Athletes of the month By Maddie Clark Will Monroe - Junior - Boys’ Volleyball 1. When did you get

I enjoy all parts of vol- leyball, but one of the most rewarding parts is getting a dig. It gives a great feeling knowing that you spoiled one of the opponents hard swing, especially when you can get a kill off of the dig. 5. Why do you feel people should come to volleyball games? Students should come to the volleyball games because the games are always intense, and it is really easy to get into the game just by watching and cheering. 6. What goals do you have for volleyball? My goals for the next year of volleyball is to win con- ference and hopefully make a state title run.

involved in volleyball? I started playing volley- ball my freshman year. I have been playing club and North volleyball since the tryout that summer. 2. How did you get in- volved in volleyball? I had heard about the team and knew a couple of people that were going to be trying out for the team that year. So I went to some of the open gyms to see what it was like since I had never played before. I honestly didn’t really feel like volleyball was the sport for me after the open gym, but my parents made me try out and I made the team! I’m so glad now that they made me try out. 7th grade by joining the sum- mer group lessons at Center Court in Fond du Lac, which was an indoor club there. 2. How did you get in- volved tennis? When I was about 6, I used to play with friends but stopped after about a year. In seventh grade, I really wanted to pick it up again, as I wanted another sport to play alongside the competi- tive swimming I was doing already. 3. What was your favor- ite moment from tennis this past season? My favorite moment from the season was winning a three-set match against Os- hkosh West. The rest of my

Lady Lightning: Girls set high expectations with state championship The 2016-17 Girls’ Basketball team trains on the football field. Photo courtesy of Callie Pohlman.

3. What was your favor- ite moment from volley- ball this season? My favorite moment this season is beating Appleton West at Fond du Lac. It was close the entire game, and we played really well as a team to get the win. 4. What is your favorite thing about volleyball? teammates were done with their matches while I was just finishing my second set. It was great to win the three hour match after putting so much energy and time into it. 4. What is your favorite thing about tennis? My favorite thing about tennis is practicing [during] group lessons at the Fox Cit- ies Racquet Club. It’s such a nice environment there with amazing coaches and players who make the group so fun. 5. Why do you feel people should come to tennis meets? Most tennis players really enjoy having people there cheering them on, including me. Tennis is really tough mentally when playing in matches, so the support can Photo used with permission by Will Monroe.

ing, has also enjoyed being in the curling club. Fleming orig- inally joined the club on a dare from a friend, who had heard about the club through the an- nouncements. “I love curling because I get to hang out with my friends every Tuesday and it is such a social atmosphere,” said Fleming. One of her favorite mo- ments from curling would be a bonspiel she did last year. with my friends every Tuesday and it is such a social atmosphere.” -Sarah Fleming The Appleton North Girls’ Basketball team has a state championship on its mind as they enter the 2016-17 girl’s basketball season. Last year, the Lady Lightning were ousted in the WIAA state semi-finals, but don’t let that sit in your head too long, as these ladies are focused on what is ahead this season. “We are focused on getting better, and merging all of our talents into one,” Head Coach Joe Russom said. “We also have depth, and we expect players to come off the bench and make a huge impact for us this season.” Not only has the Lady Lightning become a more balanced team, individually, many players have focused on making themselves more unpredictable. This includes Girls’ Basketball looking forward to upcoming season By Kyle Hoffenbecker “I love curling because I get to hang out

Her team lost every single game that they were in, but they still received a pin, con- gratulating their win. Fleming said, “I think students should try curling because it’s a great way to meet new people, make connections, and it’s a sport, where if you’ve never done it before, it’s very easy to learn with the help of our coaches.” Contact Madeline Clark at CLA542@stu. aasd.k12.wi.us if you want to write about sports. “Anyone on any given night can break out. We have some key players coming back from injuries, like Sydney Levy. She’s looking to make a huge impact. Kylie Beecher, Anna Laux, and Callie Pohlman are looking to make a huge impact this season as well.” star point guard, Kari Brekke, who said, “I’ve been working to become quicker, stronger, and to have a quicker release while shooting the ball. I want to be a threat in more ways than one on the court.” When asked about their hopes for the upcoming season, both Brekke and Russom expect a deep run in the state playoffs, and they both hope for a state title this season. However, they will be taking this season one game at a time, as they don’t want to get ahead of themselves. Every team needs a few impact players to make a difference in games. When asked about who those players might be, Russom said,

Lydia Dean - Senior -Tennis 1. When did you get involved in tennis? I started playing tennis in

me to come to the club and watch a few matches to see if I would be interested in join- ing.” Rudie took a high inter- est into the sport, and he now is in two leagues that meet ev- ery Wednesday and Thursday. There has also been a higher interest in the sport since the club began. “The first year, we only had about 15 to 20 students participating on four teams: one from West, two from East, and one fromNorth. Last year, we had over 40 stu- dents and 10 teams. This year there seems to be even more interest,” Rudie commented on the increasing interest in the team. One of the returning mem- bers of the team, Sarah Flem- really help. 6. What goals do you have for tennis? Now that I have no more seasons, my new goal is to play in USTA tournaments and leagues. This way I can continue to play in a com- petitive setting. In addition to that I also want to play intramural when in college. Photo used with permission by Lydia Dean.

Appleton’s curling club sweeps into popularity with new members

Coach Rudie: ‘Even more interest’ this year

By Maddie Clark

The Appleton high school curling club was started in 2013, when a few members of an adult curling league had some sons and daughters at- tending local high schools. They thought it would be a great idea to make a curling club. One of these curling mem- bers was Appleton North’s Reed Rudie, a freshman ELA teacher. Rudie began curling eight years ago. When asked why he started curling, Rudie said, “A friend of mine, Chad Ulman, was a member at the

Appleton Curling Club and told me how much fun the sport was. He encouraged Sophomore Sarah Fleming, in this action shot taken from Noctiluca’s Snapchat, sweeps the ice as she leads the rock to the house. Photo courtesy of Sarah Fleming