H.S. Volleyball: Case out to prove Fillmore Central is among area's best

Source: Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.迷你倉Sept. 05--Varsity volleyball at Fillmore Central High School was like riding a bike for Taylor Case -- just hop on and go, with a little support from friends and family.Case took off without training wheels five years ago as an eighth-grader and she's only become better."When we had tryouts back then, they always put me with the older girls and they were very welcoming to me," Case, an outside hitter, said. "It was different being an eighth-grader with all of those seniors, but they all helped me a lot."Case, now a senior, now finds herself in the mentoring role after an honorable mention all-state season last year. Along with hitter Tori Peterson, she is one of just two seniors on the roster for Fillmore Central, ranked No. 9 in the latest Class A state poll.The Falcons went 26-6 last year and would have challenged for the championship in many sections across the state. But they happen to play in the state's toughest subsection, 1A East, which includes perennial state powers Wabasha-Kellogg and Mabel-Canton, the team that ended the Falcons' season in the subsection semifinals in 2012."The girls have set their goals high, but they're also looking at one game at a time," Falcons coach Denise Case, Taylor's mother, said. "They've played together for three years now. I got used to saying 'they're a young team,' but now I have to say 'they're an experienced team.'"As deep and versatile as the Falcons are, Taylor Case sticks out not only because of her height (5-feet-11), but also because of her versatility."She plays the back row just as well as she hits," Denise Case said. "She digs the ball very well and serves well, too. When you find a hitter who can play just as well in the back as 儲存he does in the front, it makes it that much sweeter."Taylor Case finished her junior season with 348 kills, 328 digs, a 97.2 serve receive percentage and 39 ace serves. Her versatility and athleticism has drawn the attention of college scouts, at both the Division III and Division II levels. While she is certain she will play in college, Case isn't ready to make a decision on a school just yet.She has a season to focus on first."I'll just try to be a leader on and off the court, bring the girls together," said Taylor Case, who is also active in band, jazz band and softball at Fillmore Central. "(Chemistry) is the biggest thing you need in a team. You can have good athletes but without communication and bonding you won't have that success."We take everything seriously, but we like to have fun with it. There's always a lot of yelling and cheering and helping each other out."Case said she and her teammates all have a goal of reaching the Class A state tournament, but they know their path will be very difficult, with W-K and M-C in their subsection, and defending state champion Faribault B.A. looming in West Subsection 1A.That's not a case of Case being arrogant, it's a reflection of the confidence the Falcons have in their ability to compete with the best teams in the state. Denise Case said she could see five years ago that Taylor was headed toward becoming one of the best players in the Three Rivers Conference, Section 1A and the state."I did see that, just because of her love for the game," Denise said. "She went to a lot of camps and always wanted to get better. I expected her to excel."Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Post-Bulletin Visit the Post-Bulletin at .postbulletin.com Distributed by MCT Information Services新蒲崗迷你倉