Experience abounds for HTC girls

The transition, Tony Johnson said, was easy.

Holy Trinity’s volleyball team finished second in the Class 1A state tournament on November 2. Four days later, most of those players were going through the first day of girls basketball practice.

“That Monday, you didn’t notice a difference,” said Johnson, the Crusaders’ coach. “They were ready to go.”

If anything, Johnson said, there is a fuel for success.

“They want to really do well,” he said. “For the seniors, this is their last season, and they want it to go as long as possible. The younger players, they want to build on what we’ve done. It’s good to see that mindset.”

The Crusaders bring almost everyone back from last season’s 13-9 team, but it’s a matter of keeping everyone healthy. Holy Trinity didn’t have guard Natalie Randolph all of last season because of a knee injury. Forward Mary Kate Bendlage missed the first eight games with a knee injury, and center Presley Myers missed the last eight games with an injury.

Bendlage is coming off a season in which she averaged 23.9 points, seventh best in the state last season. She was a 42.1 percent shooter last season, finishing second on the team with 23 3-pointers.

“MK is just super competitive,” Johnson said. “It’s her senior year, and she wants to go out with a big season, not just for herself but for the team. I can see her picking right back up where she left off last year. I'm sure the focus from everybody is going to be more on her this year. But it was on her last year and she did what she did.”

The Crusaders will get a big boost with the return of Randolph, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. She averaged 13 points per game as a sophomore, leading Holy Trinity in 3-pointers.

“She really meant a lot to us a couple of seasons ago,” Johnson said. “It’s good to get her back and I know she’s ready to go.”

Junior Teagan Snaadt returns at point guard after averaging 10 points per game and leading the Crusaders with 34 3-pointers last season. Junior Anna Bendlage, who led Holy Trinity with 72 assists and was fourth on the team with 102 rebounds, also returns in the backcourt.

“Teagan has really improved,” Johnson said. “I threw her to the wolves as a freshman, and her experience really helps. Anna is long, is a great defender, can get us rebounds and can do a lot of different things.”

Myers got plenty of experience in the post as a freshman. She was second on the team with 106 rebounds and led the Crusaders with 33 blocked shots.

“She’s been working on her left-hand move, because she’s already got a great right-hand move,” Johnson said. “With the height she has, there’s really no one in the conference who can defend her.”

Senior Reagan Holvoet was a key player for the Crusaders off the bench last season. She played in 21 games, picking up 59 rebounds.

“With MK, Reagan and Presley inside, and Teagan, Anna and Natalie as guards, we’ve got a lot of experience there,” Johnson said.

Among the newcomers, Johnson has been impressed with freshman guard Ellie Hellman.

“She’s been guarding Teagan, and she’s not scared of her,” Johnson said. “She can stay in front of her, and she’s probably one of the fastest players in the conference.”

Sophomore Emma Mohrfeld and freshmen Adalyn Kruse and Elizabeth Griffin have also been working with the varsity.

“We’ve got a good group,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of experience and we have a good number of kids this year. These kids want to win, and I like their mindset.”