Girls Volleyball: Haley Zeck, Oswego eager to get started with first-year coach Amie Wade

Ask Haley Zeck, Oswego’s first summer camp under Amie Wade was no walk in the beach.

And that’s just fine with her.

Wade was hired as Oswego’s new head volleyball coach in March. Wade, previously the freshman coach, is an Oswego native who played in high school at St. Francis and collegiately at DePaul.

Her team camp this summer was heavy on conditioning. Plyometrics, jumping, ladders, weightlifting, running around the track – it got the Panthers prepared for the season.

“The summer camps were very intense,” said Zeck, Oswego’s junior setter. “It was a huge help. It was new to a lot of the girls, and a change from years past. There was a lot more energy in the gym.”

And helped them bond.

“We really bonded through all the struggles,” Zeck said. “We’re all out of breath, working as hard as you can.”

Indeed, the energy in the gym is positive as Oswego enters its first season with its new coach. Wade is looking forward to seeing everybody at their respective positions, and said she has a number of versatile athletes that can play multiple places.

“It’s a fresh start for everybody,” said Wade, who was a setter on the St. Francis team that took second in Class A in 2000, and attended the older Traughber Middle School before that. “I feel everybody is excited and ready to go.”

Wade was hardly an unfamiliar face around the Oswego gym.

Oswego’s current sophomores of course, knew her, and she was also the setting coach, working with Zeck and the other setters after practice.

“She worked a lot on fixing our hands, and working on footwork,” Zeck said, “getting to the ball faster and worked with us on tempo and the speed we should work with on varsity.”

Zeck, going into her third varsity season, should be more comfortable in her skin to provide leadership. Wade has noticed a more confident, comfortable girl that realizes that now is her time.

“She has stepped in to take a more demanding role and having high expectations for the girls and just feeling comfortable which is great to see,” Wade said. “Before she was always the younger one.”

Zeck got an extra dose of good experience this summer, playing on the First Alliance 17 Elite club team that took fifth place at nationals in Orlando.

“I played an age level up,” Zeck said. “It’s a lot faster place when you’re playing up. That helped me, too.”

Zeck is among six girls returning for Oswego. Amanda Darling, a team captain last year, is back as the Panthers’ starting libero, Mikaela Beyer is back as a defensive specialist, Mikayla Comperda and Erin Gonzalez at outside and Maggie Wilmes at outside/right side.

Destiny Gray, Diana Whitfield and Marin Ottesen are other hitters with Gianna Raimondi another setter.

“I think what we look like at the beginning of the season is a lot different than what we will look like at the end, especially with a young group,” Wade said. “I think the preseason will be a true preseason to us.”

Wade’s also excited to what this group will bring to the volleyball program going forward.

“This group of girls will be instrumental to building the culture to where we want Oswego to go,” Wade said. “We have really great athletes that are happy to play different roles. It’s an exciting time.”