Glenbrook South begins life without Chapman

Updated: August 30, 2011 7:36PM

Glenbrook South’s opening win Saturday against Loyola is a snapshot of what type of team the Titans hope to be throughout the season.

With setter Carson Weaver running the offense, she finished with 23 assists and helped four players to at least four kills each in the 25-23, 23-25, 25-15 win over the Ramblers.

“She ran the floor with a lot of confidence and was distributing the ball equally to our attackers,” Glenbrook South coach Katie Hoover said. “She’s very comfortable in this position and is very assertive as a setter. She likes to make those decisions.”

Last year, there wasn’t much to think about for the setters in Glenbrook South’s 6-2 offense. Most of the time, they located Ellen Chapman, now playing at Wisconsin.

“We absolutely will have a more balanced attack this year,” Hoover said. “My girls aren’t skipping a beat, and they love it that there are so many options. They all are working hard.”

Weaver’s go-to hitters in the opener were seniors Rebecca Tiedmann, Kelsey Eenigenberg, Olivia Nelson and junior Tiegan Flaws.

After not playing much last year, Eenigenberg is at right-side hitter. Tiedmann is an outside hitter, while Nelson and Flaws are in the middle.

“Rebecca has the most experience out of anybody,” Hoover said. “She played opposite Ellen last year, so she knows what it’s like out on the floor.”

Flaws, the younger sister of Illinois soccer player Jannelle, mostly played on the JV last season. The middle blocker gives the Titans an athletic player who can control the net.

“We’re focused on her blocking and contributing to our slide attack,” the coach said. “She’s comfortable running behind the setter, and we want to take advantage of that athleticism.”

Senior Lisa Mahon is another option on the outside with Tiedmann.

Defensively, the Titans will turn to Abby Watkins. Hoover hopes to play libero on almost every point. Natalie Literski, who had four aces against Loyola, will be Glenbrook South’s serving specialist.

“The girls are fully expecting to compete in the conference, and our goal is to win it,” Hoover said. “We can’t replace Ellen, but we can play to our strengths. Our goals haven’t changed, just our methods.”

The Titans opened this week with a 27-25, 28-26 loss to York. They play Stevenson on Thursday before competing at New Trier’s tournament on Saturday. Glenbrook South is in a pool with Oak Park-River Forest, Loyola and Highland Park.

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