The Washington Demons will be a much older team when they hit the volleyball court next week to start a new season. They’re hoping to be a wiser one as well. After only losing two senior starters off last year’s team, Washington is hoping the continuity of the roster produces more than 2022’s nine wins. Demon head coach Aaron Six tells KCII Sports he believes that will be case.

“We had six girls that were on the floor for the first time [last season],” Six says. “Having those girls back, and just another year of experience, is huge when it comes to the beginning of the season.”

One of Washington’s biggest returning pieces in sophomore outside hitter Leighton Messinger. In her debut season, Messinger led the Demons with both 194 kills and 301 digs and was second on the squad with both 31 serving aces and 17 blocks.

Junior Ella Greiner is back after putting up similarly impressive numbers, posting 138 kills, 27 aces and 183 digs. Also back is senior middle blocker Maci Williams, who had 62 kills and 17 blocks, and junior setter Lauren Hinrichsen, who led Washington with 270 assists and also had 29 aces and 121 digs in 2022.

Mix in the return of junior defensive back-line stars Bella Salazar and Ruby Witthof, who had over 160 digs each, and there is a lot of proven talent on the floor. But Six says reaching the squad’s big goals means making the little improvements.

“We’re wanting to improve every day that we’re stepping on the floor,” he says. “That’s one of the things we’ve been talking about at the end of practice, what were the skills that we did well, what were just some general aspects of the game that we did well and things that we wanted to improve. And [we] have that ultimate goal that we still do not have a conference title for volleyball up on the banners in the gym. That is one the girls have set as a mark that they would like to achieve and [are] continually working hard to make those things come true.”

Washington will have first serve of the 2023 volleyball season one week from tonight when they visit Mid-Prairie. The Demons also play in a tournament at Grinell two days after.