Entering her second season as Macomb High head volleyball coach, Hillary Humes and the Bombers have been a busy group this summer.
Eight seniors graduated from last year’s team, leaving Humes with plenty of questions concerning this year’s squad.
Add in the fact that this year’s team will have just one senior in Megan Redding and a handful of juniors returning and Humes’s plans for the summer were simple, if not obvious.
“I chose to do more tournaments, leagues and scrimmages this summer over practices because we’re really young,” she said. “The varsity is young this year. There’s not a lot of experience at that level.”
“I thought if we were in more scrimmages and leagues, that will get them the game-like experience we can’t always replicate in practices,” Humes added.
“What they lack in experience they make up for in the love of the game,” said Humes. “They want to do well. They’re quick learners and they work well together.”
The varsity posted a 17-11-1 record during the summer. That included league play at Galesburg and hosting its own tournament in June.
In July, the team played in tournaments at Springfield, Burlington, Iowa and Quincy. The squad also headed to the Wisconsin Dells for a threeday tournament.
“It was a good experience for the girls,” said Humes of the Wisconsin trip. “It was fun. It was something new for all of us.”
“They came back really tight-knit,” she added. “It’s what this varsity team is going to need, being so inexperienced. They are going to have to rely on each other to make it through some of those tough games.”
After graduating eight players each of the past two seasons, Redding finds herself as the lone senior entering 2026.
“She has stepped in and done an excellent job of being that voice for the younger ones,” Humes said of Redding.
Sophomore Jersee Mills is the lone returning starter from last year.
The summer work has provided opportunities for the likes of junior outside hitters Reva Koeppen and Clairissa Thompson and sophomore setter Anistyn Lovell to get settled in.
Meanwhile freshmen middles Dehlia Graham and Ashtyn Shoopman are adjusting to playing at not only the high school level, but the varsity level.
“They’re tall and athletic, it’s just the speed of our varsity game is what they’re getting used to,” said Humes.
Graham and Shoopman are part of 12 freshmen entering the program this season.
Also during the summer, Humes has started a leadership corps within the team. The purpose she said was to give players more of a voice in what they want to achieve with the program and what they want the program to look like.
“If I want them to lead and be leaders on the court, they have to be taught how to do that,” said Humes. “Teaching them what it looks like to be a leader. What you can do outside of the gym with each other.”
She also noted that with players from all four grades at the varsity level, the corps is also aiming for the different classes to find different ways to promote team unity in the effort to strengthen their team bond.
While the JV wraps up play this week, the varsity squad will see a little down time until practices for the upcoming season begin on Aug. 10.
Macomb opens the season on Aug. 27 hosting Jacksonville High.
Freshman Rylynn Schwerer (left) and Sophomore Jersee Mills (right)
