As the 2023 Middleton Girls Varsity Volleyball team left the court for the final time on October 21, there was no shortage of strong emotions. Familiar to the team’s seven seniors and fresh for its 10 juniors and sophomores, the end of another Varsity season was bittersweet. But this year was different from most; the graduating Cardinals leave behind a program invigorated by a new culture and mindset, fueled by this year’s new coaching staff.
Following the 2022 season, which came to a close at the State tournament, coaches Madelyn Vogel and Emily Lorenz announced their departure from the program. This unexpectedly left both Head and Assistant coach positions empty. Middleton High School (MHS) Athletic Director Jamie Sims approached Ben White for the position, who accepted the offer.
“I initially told him no — I told him I would help him find a new coach,” White explained. “But my family encouraged me to return because they knew I missed it…I knew some of the families in the program, and I knew they were good people. It was worth a shot.”
After taking on the head coach position, White reached out to his longtime friend and neighbor Randall “Randy” Reinke to fill the vacant assistant coach spot. The pair, though new to coaching women’s volleyball, are no strangers to the Middleton court. Having both played and coached at the school, their coaching resumes were already impressively decorated with trips to State and winning records during their 25+ combined years of coaching.
The new coaching team did not just take on Varsity, but the Middleton Girls Volleyball program as a whole. From the very beginning, program culture and camaraderie were a large focus.
“Our goal as a program is to always reload instead of rebuild,” White emphasized. “It’s so important for Varsity to show what we’re expecting both on the court and off the court. It really comes down to the seniors passing it on to the younger kids so they can take on that leadership role eventually.”
White’s goals for a culture of inclusivity stretch beyond the program: this year, MHS introduced an intramural volleyball club for players who love the game but do not try out or receive a place on a team.
“The coaches brought so much experience to the court,” a senior on the team said. “In games, when Coach contested a ref or line judge’s call, he knew it was the right call to make.”
Despite years of experience, White described this season as a “new challenge.” For those unfamiliar with the sport, the differences between women’s and men’s volleyball go far beyond a higher net and a different ball.
“It’s a very different game. I was caught by surprise by the over 30 second long rally, right away from the first rally of Memorial,” said White. “Long rallies are common in a girls match, rare in a boys match. The speed and what you focus on is totally different.”
As the season came into full swing, the differences became clearer with every game. “There’s more commitment in a girls team than most guys teams,” Reinke, who has coached MHS Freshman girls in the past, said.
“Our biggest thing we’re trying to create is that everyone feels like they know each other…This year’s seniors did a great job of that without being asked,” said White. “Celebrate the wins, but be there to support each other through the losses.”
The team’s “togetherness,” as Reinke observed, carried them through hard-fought wins and tough losses throughout the season, which came to an end during the second round of playoffs versus the Verona High School Wildcats.
Although the senior class has finished their contribution to the MHS Girls Volleyball program, White and Reinke have no plans to leave the Varsity team. Perhaps one day, following their coaches’ example, the 2023 Cardinals might return to the MHS gym to lead the program!
