BROOKFIELD — The sport of women's volleyball has exploded throughout the country over the past 10 years, and at Brookfield Central, the girls are using their love of the sport to achieve their goals on and off the court.
The Lancers have built something special this season under the guidance of head coach Tiffany Voge, a former Marquette volleyball star who has been coaching kids for 20 years and leading the Lancers for the past five years.
"We want our kids to be engaged, and that's what we're here for. So, I'm not surprised that volleyball is now keeping up with the basketballs, the footballs, the youth little leagues have really exploded in the last 10 years, so on the girls' side as well as the boys side," Voge said.
Team captain Molly Daugherty, a senior, says this season has been particularly meaningful for the team's chemistry and connection.
"Every season is gonna be fun, it's a fun team and a fun sport. But this season it's just been something special. We all built such a strong bond with each other on and off the court. Every day, every person is just excited to come here," Daugherty said.
The team features players who understand their specific roles and embrace leadership on the court. Senior Emma Duff serves as the team's center, taking on the quarterback role for the offense.
"So as a center, I'm the quarterback of the courts, which means that I'm running plays, running the offense, and also telling the defense what to do, and just making sure the offense is running accordingly to what the coaches are telling me what to do," Duff said.
Senior Rachel Hoerig has faced challenges about her height throughout her volleyball career but has used criticism as motivation to excel in the sport she loves.
"There are definitely people who have said it. I was kinda told my whole life had a 5'1 in the barrel when you can have a 5'6. But I never let that stop me. I actually use that as motivation. I was always the shorter one, the worst one. But I really just used that to push me, and Volleyball is my life," Hoerig said.
Watch: Former Marquette star Tiffany Voge helps fuel girls volleyball explosion at Brookfield Central
The team brings significant experience from competitive club volleyball, with players who have competed at national and regional championship levels.
"So, this team has a lot of background on the national stage. We've got a lot of club players. We've got national champions; we've got regional champions. These kids like to compete, and they like to work hard, and they don't mind being pushed, which has really brought out my love of the sport this year," Voge said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
