Among the many changes to LNS this year are new volleyball coaches. Both JV and Varsity received new head coaches, Varsity’s being Jay Kroll. Although new to coaching at North Star, Coach Kroll has been teaching volleyball since high school. He first got into the sport after growing up around the gym and seeing his dad coach volleyball. This year he is looking to add new focuses to the program in efforts to better it for the classes to come. “I don’t know if it’s a change from last year, but my main goal this season is to build a program of four teams that are inclusive and act as one,” Kroll explained. Besides building a family, Kroll is striving to help players develop their skills and learn the game of volleyball in hopes of winning games. On Kroll’s side of game planning for big games, he looks at film, so he can learn the other team. “I’m a big believer in playing volleyball strategically, I think being able to force the team to make mistakes or do things they are uncomfortable with is just as important as talent,” Kroll said.
Also new to coaching at LNS is the JV coach, Brandon Dinkelman. Unlike Kroll, Dinkelman is just beginning his coaching journey. “After playing for years I thought it would be a fun challenge to try and get closer to the game by coaching volleyball as well,” Dinkelman detailed. Although the JV season has just begun, Dinkelman shared his favorite part so far has been experiencing the atmosphere of high school sports and especially the traveling aspect. Similar to Kroll, Dinkelman also adjusts based on how the other team is playing. “My main strategy this year has been making in-game adjustments in efforts to throw the other team off and force themselves to error,” expressed.
As the 2024 volleyball season progresses it’s going to be interesting to see all the new dynamics and what each one brings to the table. The new coaches have already made great strives to better the athletes and overall program. As the coaches continue to make changes and become familiar with the team it will be exciting to see if they can meet their end goals of JV city champs, and a ticket to state for Varsity.
