By Coach Kelly Erickson

The 2026 season was one defined by growth.

After graduating several key seniors from last year’s team, our athletes were asked to step into new roles and take on greater responsibility. With just one senior on the roster and a lineup filled with underclassmen, this group embraced every challenge that came their way. Throughout the season, we saw tremendous growth—not only in skill and confidence, but in the way this team learned to trust one another, work together and do whatever was needed for the success of the team.

One of the things I’m most proud of is the culture this team created. Our older players welcomed the younger athletes from day one, making it easy for them to step into bigger varsity roles. That support helped us continue improving throughout the season, and our players never stopped competing. Whether it was a conference match or postseason play, they continued to work hard and battle every single match.

That growth translated into success. The Warriors finished second among the small schools in the conference for the second straight season and advanced to the second round of regional play—an impressive accomplishment for such a young team that had so many positions to fill.

The Warriors were well represented in the conference awards, with Brylee Erickson and Zoey Armstrong earning first team all-conference honors for the Upper Iowa Conference, while Ella Frieden and Carlie Bergan were named second team all-conference.

As the team’s lone senior, Erickson provided leadership on and off the court. Throughout her high school career, she has filled nearly every role imaginable—libero, defensive specialist, setter and outside hitter—and always did whatever the team needed. This season she led the Warriors with 181 kills, the highest total among the conference’s small schools. She also led the team with 268 digs and 41 aces, finishing second among the small schools in aces. Her versatility, consistency and leadership were instrumental in every match we played. Throughout Brylee’s career, she finished with 249 kills, 333 assists, 842 digs and 140 aces.

Running the offense was Armstrong, whose development as our setter was a huge part of our success this season. Zoey finished with 494 assists, leading all of the conference’s small schools, while also contributing 35 aces. She kept our offense moving, made smart decisions and gave our hitters opportunities to succeed throughout the year.

In the middle, Frieden was a steady force on both offense and defense. She finished with 153 kills, ranking third among the conference’s small schools, while her 47 blocks led the small-school conference. Ella also contributed 218 digs and 24 aces, showing her ability to impact every area of the game.

Bergan, just a sophomore, continued to emerge as a major offensive threat. She recorded 132 kills, fourth among the conference’s small schools, while adding 163 digs and 29 aces. Her all-around play and willingness to contribute in both the front and back row made her an important piece of our lineup all season long.

While replacing Brylee’s leadership and versatility will certainly be a challenge, the future is bright for Central volleyball.

Three sophomores gained significant varsity experience this season, and several younger players continued developing into important contributors. Greta Scherf saw valuable varsity minutes this year and will be another asset moving forward, while our younger athletes gained confidence by competing at the high school level.

One of the biggest positives for our program has been the opportunity for eighth graders to play high school volleyball. That experience has accelerated their development, giving them valuable varsity exposure much earlier than in previous years. As those athletes continue to grow, we believe that investment will pay off for years to come.

This season laid a strong foundation. Our young players learned how to compete, support one another and rise to bigger moments. With so much returning experience and a group eager to continue improving, the future of Central Warriors volleyball is exciting.