By Mark Jurgena
Last season the boys volleyball team at Collinsville High School played their first year of varsity competition. While it was certainly a tough go in the Southwestern Conference – they finished 1-9 in SWC play – the Kahoks went 8-4 outside the conference to provide a solid basis to build on.
They even beat Glen Carbon (Father McGivney) in the opening round of the Belleville East Regional for their first postseason win ever.
Fourth-year coach Mike Nichols welcomes 11 freshmen and 10 seniors to the fold for the upcoming season. He will add a few sophomores and a freshman to round out the roster.
“We hope to be more competitive in the conference than we were last year,” said Nichols. “We got our first win against Alton but it would be nice to be a little more competitive against the Belleville’s, O’Fallon, and Edwardsville.”
The Kahoks will rely on seniors Tyrone Ealy, Luke Geison, John Carl. Jack Geisen, Matthew Falbe, and Joey Rauk are in the mix as well.
“We certainly have an experienced team,” Nichols said. “They’ve all been around the program since it started.”
Upcoming Schedule
They open on March 21 in Jackson, Mo. against Saxony Lutheran High.
