Hamilton Season Preview and Players to Watch

Rachel Kass July 26, 2018 @ 07:58 PM

Last season was definitely a learning opportunity for Hamilton High School in Sussex. They had a slew of major injuries (and comebacks) throughout the season keeping the Chargers on their toes. They had to adjust lineups, sometimes as they went. Though they had a lot of challenges to tackle, this team showed true grit and became extremely versatile. They earned a spot in the Joust tournament and will compete in the Sprawl for the second year in a row, both major accomplishments. Two years ago they won their regional and after a year of injuries in 2017 they are hoping to get back to that regional final in 2018. This coming year Coach Traci Buhr has realistic yet challenging goals. As the varsity coach for Hamilton the past 6 years she has helped grow the program. Coach Buhr talked about focusing on improvement, and continuing to grow and remain competitive. This will be a young team but she is confident they can place top three in their very tough conference which includes volleyball powerhouses including DSHA, Brookfield Central, Brookfield East and Menomonee Falls. Hamilton’s relatively young team has a spot in the big leagues though. They have some returning players who will be making a lasting impact on this Charger’s team. McKenna Packer (Class of 2019, Middle, Committed to Lewis University): McKenna has been a 4 year starter for the Chargers. She has a powerful swing that is nearly unstoppable. In 2017 she had 161 kills on the season for a career total of 513 kills. She rounded out with strong defense, putting up 86 blocks last season. She also contributed 24 aces and 36 digs. Along with her stats she has also racked up some great awards including 2nd Team All Conference, Honorable Mention All State, and Honorable Mention All Area in 2017 and Honorable Mention All Conference, Honorable Mention All State, and Honorable Mention All Area in 2016. McKenna is a great player, and as a returning senior, will provide great leadership for her teammates. Sarah Schrader (Class of 2020, Outside Hitter, Uncommitted): Sarah is a 6-rotation outside hitter for Hamilton and was All Conference Honorable Mention in 2017. She is very calm and collected on the court and has great ball control. When she swings, she sees the court well and is both smart and powerful. She had 186 kills in 2017 and contributed 66 aces, 316 digs, and received 427 serves. Her natural finesse on the court is a great asset to Hamilton and Sarah is sure to be a role model and leader on the team. Jessica Bagley (Class of 2020, Outside Hitter, Uncommitted): 2017 was Jessica’s first year on varsity. She is an extremely determined player with a hop in her step and a desire to do well. This will be her second year on varsity and Coach Buhr has high expectations for this young outside. Kayla Lewinski (Class of 2021, Right Side Hitter, Uncommitted): Kayla will be a second year varsity starter. She made an impact on the team her freshman year with her high energy and positive attitude. Coupled with her strong blocking skills and powerful hits, she will continue to grow as a sophomore. She contributed 90 kills and 29 blocks during the 2017 season. Lakyn Graves (Class of 2021, Middle, Uncommitted): This young middle will be a second year varsity starter. As a freshman she had 70 kills and 46 blocks. Lakyn is sure to bring the heat this year and grow as a player and leader. She has a great swing and reads the ball well. After many injuries last season, the Chargers are ready to start this year strong. With a fairly young team, Coach Buhr has a lot of room for developing strong players and leaders to continue growing this already strong program.