As far as Charmaine Schreiber is concerned, the five consecutive state high school volleyball championship teams she coached in Florida is history.
She’d rather concentrate on her new team at Iola-Scandinavia High School.
Schreiber, who is also the school’s new physical education and health teacher, is still getting her feet wet after being named the Thunderbirds’ new coach. She recently moved to the Shawano area after coaching the volleyball team at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Fla., for 20 seasons. Her accomplishments there include coaching the Highlanders to state titles from 2004-08.
“We’ve never really talked about it,” Schreiber said Aug. 20 after watching the T-Birds scrimmage with Waupaca, Weyauwega-Fremont and Antigo at Waupaca High School.
“I don’t even know if they know,” she said. “That’s history and this is a brand new start.”
The T-Birds compete in the Central Wisconsin 8 Conference, which also includes Weyauwega-Fremont, Amherst, Manawa, Wittenberg-Birnamwood, Stevens Point Pacelli, Bonduel and Shiocton.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood won the conference championship last year, but Schreiber is the first to admit she doesn’t know much about the league.
“I don’t have any idea, but I’m going to focus more on what happens on our side of the court,” she said. “We’ll build on our strengths and see what happens.”
That includes building the offense around senior Lidia Frias, a second-team all-conference middle hitter as a junior.
“We have some experience in the middle with Lidia,” Schreiber said. “She has some good leadership, so we’ll build our offense around her. She really stresses teamwork and she knows that it takes six people on the court.”
The T-Birds will open the season at 5 p.m. today (Thursday, Aug. 23) by hosting a triangular with Port Edwards and Wisconsin Rapids Assumption.
“They have a great attitude and they’re willing to learn,” Schreiber said. “I’m coming in new and putting them in places that they’re not used to, but they’re really adjusting well. We’re trying to find out where their skill sets are and where their strengths are. We’re getting a sense of the volleyball court and learning where they need to be. We’re still establishing our setters. We have three girls that have great hands, so we’re going to work on developing that position.”
The Waupaca scrimmage was the team’s first opportunity to see another opponent.
“I thought we did extremely well,” Schreiber said. “I’m proud of their effort. They’re going for the ball and working together. You’re not sure what kind of competition you’ll come up against, so tonight was great to prepare for our match on Thursday.”
Although Schreiber is a new teacher on board in Iola, she filled in last school year as a teacher and also coached the T-Bird boys’ junior varsity basketball team.
“It’s going to be wonderful because it’s going to help build relationships being with the kids all day and being available for them when they need something,” she said. “My Wisconsin experience has been extremely positive. People are very welcoming and I’m very appreciative to Iola for giving me an opportunity.”
Iola-Scandinavia
Volleyball
2012 Schedule
Varsity
Thursday, Aug. 23 – Iola-Scandinavia Triangular, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 25 – at Omro Invitational, 9 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 27 – at Tigerton, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 4 – at Amherst, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 6 – vs. Manawa, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 8 – at Auburndale Invitational, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 11 – at Weyauwega-Fremont, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 13 – vs. Bonduel, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 15 – at Fox Valley Lutheran Invitational, Appleton, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 18 – vs. Stevens Point Pacelli, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 25 – at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 2 – vs. Shiocton, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 6 – at Central Wisconsin Conference Meet (pool play), TBA, 10 a.m.
Thursday, Oct. 11 – at Rosholt (Dig Pink match), 7:30 p.m.
Junior Varsity
Thursday, Aug. 23 – Iola-Scandinavia Triangular, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 25 – at Omro Invitational, 9 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 27 – at Tigerton, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 30 – Iola-Scandinavia Triangular, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 4 – at Amherst, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 6 – vs. Manawa, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 11 – at Weyauwega-Fremont, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 13 – vs. Bonduel, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 15 – at Weyauwega-Fremont Invitational, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 18 – vs. Stevens Point Pacelli, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 22 – at Stratford Invitational, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 25 – at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 2 – vs. Shiocton, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 11 – at Rosholt (Dig Pink match), 6 p.m.
Freshman
Thursday, Aug. 30 – Iola-Scandinavia Triangular, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 4 – at Amherst, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 6 – vs. Manawa, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 11 – at Weyauwega-Fremont, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 13 – vs. Bonduel, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 18 – vs. Stevens Point Pacelli, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 25 – at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 2 – vs. Shiocton, 6 p.m.
Middle School
Thursday, Sept. 6 – at Almond-Bancroft, 5 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 10 – at Plainfield Tri-County, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 13 -at Manawa, 5 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 17 – at Shiocton, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 20 – vs. Shiocton, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 22 – at Wittenberg-Birnamwood Invitational, 8 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 27 – Iola-Scandinavia Invitational, TBA.
Monday, Oct. 1 – at Manawa, vs. Manawa, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 4 – vs. Almond-Bancroft, 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 8 – vs. Plainfield Tri-County, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 11 – at Amherst, 4:30 p.m.