Same old Osage: Green Devils easily sweep Newman
By Kristi Nixon
OSAGE — The Osage volleyball team may have a lot of new faces in different positions, but they played like the same old Green Devils to open the 2023 season.
Coach Bryan Tabbert’s team has a new setter – the third new one in as many seasons – and, for the first time in more than four years, has a new libero playing the position for the first time.
No matter, Osage needed approximately an hour to dispatch Mason City Newman in a 25-11, 25-13, 25-10 sweep on Thursday, Aug. 24.
“I really like the transition,” senior setter Taylor Klobassa said. “Last year, I was starting at outside (hitter) and that was a big change for me, but coming back to my normal position, it’s kind of nice.
“It’s the same – with a new setter you have to work with chemistry – and it will grow throughout the season. That’s how we win.”
That new libero is senior Leah Hauge, who has always either been a hitter or setter.
“Today was a good day for the first game of the season with a lot of new faces, especially in the back row,” coach Tabbert said. “We talked about losing Jaden (Francis) in the back row. Sami (Brandau), Sydney (Muller), Claudia (Aschenbrenner). We have Taylor back there, but we moved her to outside position, which took a lot of digs, and moved her to setter on the right side, where hopefully she isn’t taking as many. That’s a lot of faces in the back row to replace, but we had a bunch of girls step up tonight and make their names known.”
