With five returning senior starters, Northwest boys volleyball head coach Josh Mattingly is looking for improvement on last year’s 13-19 mark.
A Northwest and Missouri State University graduate, Mattingly, 27, teaches social studies at Fox. He was the Lions’ assistant volleyball coach last season and has moved up to succeed the retired Dick Willis.
“We have more talent on this year’s team than last year,” he said. “We’re just trying to improve every day.”
Mattingly also has assisted Northwest’s head coach in girls volleyball, Deb Fortner, for the last five years. Now the roles are reversed as Fortner is his assistant with the boys.
“Deb has done a great job on the girls side,” Mattingly said. “She has taught me a lot about coaching volleyball.”
The Lions are led by 6-2 senior Joe Wigge, an outside hitter. He has committed to play for Missouri Baptist University.
“He’s a solid offensive and defensive threat,” Mattingly said of Wigge. “It’s good to have him back.” Wigge led the team in kills last year with an average of 3.2 per game.
Also back is senior Brent Adams, a defensive specialist who will line up at libero this season. Adams carries a 3.9 grade-point average.
Another returnee is senior outside hitter Roman Dietz, who stands 6-5. He was the team’s second leading hitter last year at two kills per game.
Rounding out the senior returning starters are Garret Heibeck, a 6-foot right side hitter; and Ben Pigue (6-2) a middle hitter last season.
“They will give us some depth,” Mattingly said.
New to the team is senior Luke Thorburg, a 6-8 middle hitter. Thorburg was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Northwest basketball team this past season.
“It’s been a learning experience for him so far,” Mattingly said of Thorburg. “It’s nice to have a 6-8 kid in the middle. He’s off to a good start.”
Two other seniors include defensive specialists Aidan McCormick and Bo Price.
A new starter this year is junior middle blocker Dillon Fisher (6-2).
“He is really athletic,” Mattingly said. “He’s doing a good job early on.”
Noah Hensley and Chris Dutton, both juniors, will play as defensive specialists. The team’s top newcomer, meanwhile, is 6-3 freshman setter Jacob Christopher.
“He’s extremely talented for a freshman,” Mattingly said. “He has been a go-to guy for us early on. He sets for three rotations, then hits for three.”
Another freshman setter, James Bowen, comes in when Christopher moves to the front row. Mattingly said Bowen has looked good early on and will make an impact down the road.
The Lions are off to a slow start with two-set losses to St. Dominic, Parkway North, Lindbergh and Rockwood Summit between March 20 and March 31. The closest of those matches was the defeat at Summit (21-25, 22-25).
“We have to improve our chemistry,” Mattingly said. “We are still searching to get better.
“We have the talent to be up around the 15-win mark. We don’t have many true volleyball players. We’re trying to change the culture.”
The JV team, coached by Heather Niemeyer, is 2-1 in the early going while the freshman team, under coach Darick Durham, is 3-1.
The Lions will compete in the Fort Zumwalt North Tournament on Saturday.
“It’s a very highly competitive tournament every year,” Mattingly said. “It should be a great test for us.”