Rogers eyes big run in Northwest Suburban

Matthew Davis

October 7, 2020 @ 03:10 PM

Rogers has sights set on a strong season with all-conference players back in the lineup. “We legitimately have a shot at winning the conference this year, and if we can learn to play hard and play together,” Royals coach Bo Schmidt said. “I think we can make that dream a reality.” Returning all-conference players include senior right-side hitter Aly Johnson and junior middle hitter [player_tooltip player_id="72797" first="Brynn" last="Reines"]. Johnson led the team in kills with 263 and was second in solo blocks with 30 in 2019. Reines led in solo blocks with 39 and service aces with 54. She finished second in kills with 140. The Royals also have two all-conference honorable mention players back in junior outside hitter Ally Ritter and eighth-grader setter Anya Schmidt. Ritter had 140 kills last season for second on the team, and she had had the third-best digs total at 100. Schmidt led in set assists with 539 and had 95 digs. “There are several players in the program that I am confident will play collegiate volleyball,” Schmidt said. “When I evaluate players, I am looking for players who are skilled, but also have the will to win. The most important stat that concerns me is wins and losses.” “Each member brings a value to the court, and unless each player understands and embraces their role, we won’t have success,” Schmidt said about his players. “But if we can capitalize on each player’s strengths, we can be a pretty tough team to beat.” Rogers posted a 15-12 record its first Northwest Suburban Conference season last fall, moving from the Mississippi 8 Conference. The NWSC boasts several powerhouse programs in Andover, Centennial, Champlin Park, Elk River, Maple Grove and Osseo. Rogers opens its season 7 p.m. Oct. 8 at Robbinsdale Armstrong. “The players and teams that can adapt to the uniqueness of the 2020 season are going to be the most successful,” Schmidt said. “There have been many programs who were not able to practice together this summer, so the teams that can start strong and build their chemistry early in the season will have the most success.”