Athlete of the Month

Richland Hospital's Athlete(s) of the Month

Kyra Dosch

Kyra this year was the only player who consistently got voted as a captain throughout the season. We voted multiple times and sometimes changed the focus, but Kyra was again the only one voted everytime. She had the respect of her teammates though she was not a vocal leader. Kyra faced her own personal turmoil when it came to serves and she overcame that in time for the tournament. In a year, when the head coach changes after the season started is when players really need to look to their peer leaders. The Hornets overcame a slow start in conference to finish 3rd in the league behind the #1 ranked team in the state Platteville and 2nd place River Valley, whom the Hornets beat the 2nd time around. Kyra was received Honorable Mention Recognition from the conference coaches. She helped our team maximize our talent and help finish in 3rd place.

Madelyn Bauer

Madelyn is the only senior in the program and only 1 of 3 upperclassmen in the program as well. She has stepped up and provided tremendous leadership for the program under a first year coach. So she is in the same boat as others, in the fact, everything is new, which makes leading a little more difficult than usual. This has not stopped her from taking charge and bringing the program together. She worked with an assistant coach and took care of T-shirt night already and those will be handed out this week. She came up with the design and slogan. She met with the printer and got that taken care of. She organized poster night with the photographer and again had the idea and organized the event, taking this off the plate of a new head coach, who was coming off another season. During the first week of practice, she organized not just a team event, but a program wide event and the whole program went to her house and had meal together, while they made poster or locker decorations for each athlete. During practice she has been a vocal leader and directing traffic on the defensive end of things and our new scheme. Also during the first 10 days of the season she spoke as an athlete representing RCHS at the Heart of an Athlete event that was sponsored by Ithaca and RC FCA groups. (the only athete to speak) She has been seen being vocal and supportive to athletes as they come of the court if she is on the bench at the time as well. Her efforts have been appreciated by the new head coach.

Katie Schmitz

Between the transitioning of a new coach due to the head coach of over 20 years taking on a new position of Assistant Principal/AD, making difficult cuts, and a top player being out for a period of time, the Richland Center Hornet Volleyball program has been under much stress to start the season. Just after all of that we headed into a 2 day - 10 match tournament. Katie was a rock to the team and consistently led the team in kills throughout the tournament. Katie had 52 kills over the 2 days and led the Hornets to their highest finish at the Great River Sprawl. Highlight of the tournament was the Hornets giving Stratford their only loss in the Gold division who went on to win the tournament title. Katie also was named to the All Tournament team. Not only game play is the reason for the nomination, but in one of the first practices the new head coach made an observation and suggestion to the team. Katie took to it heart, and adjusted. She provided feedback on how that really helped. She has made the adjustment for the new head coach an easier one.