Carrington has all the right pieces to be dangerous
· Yahoo Sports
Sep. 19—CARRINGTON, N.D. — Kadyn Mehring was one win away from making it to the NDHSAA State Tournament in her first year as the head coach of the Carrington High School volleyball team.
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With the talent on her roster, she might make it in her second year.
"I have high expectations for this group," Mehring said. "We have a lot of talent and experience returning, and I believe we have the ability to compete with anyone in the state. Our goal is to continue getting better throughout the season, be playing our best volleyball when it matters most, and put ourselves in a position to make a deep postseason run. We know nothing will be handed to us, but we're excited about what this team is capable of accomplishing."
Carrington began practices in early August and played their first game of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 1, against Rugby. The Cardinals swept the Panthers 25-21, 25-11, 25-21. The team has also pulled out wins against Hillsboro/Central Valley and Northern Cass.
"What excites me most about this team is how much they love to compete," Mehring said. "Whether it's a drill in practice or a match, they want to win, and that competitiveness brings out the best in each other. We have a lot of talented athletes who can impact the game in different ways, and they aren't afraid to challenge one another. I'm excited to see what happens when we put all of that talent and competitiveness together.
"We have a lot of talented athletes competing for roles, and that has brought a lot of energy and intensity into the gym," she said. "The girls push each other every day, and I think that competition is going to make us a better team throughout the season."
While it is only her second year as head coach, Mehring has been around Cardinal volleyball for a long time.
Mehring graduated from Carrington in 2019. She played for the Carrington volleyball team while she was in high school. After her prep career concluded, Mehring went on to play volleyball for the University of Jamestown from 2019 to 2022.
Throughout Mehring's college volleyball career, she helped coach younger girls during University of Jamestown Jimmie Volleyball Camps. She also acted as an assistant coach for the Jamestown High School volleyball team during the 2023 season. She was an assistant to former Cardinal head coach Megan Trautman in the 2024 season.
In her second year, Mehring had 26 athletes come out for the 2026 season. Two of the athletes — Aniston Hoornaert and Harper Kollman —were named to the 2025 NDHSCA Division A All-State Volleyball Team.
"Aniston is continuing to grow as a dynamic setter and offensive threat," Mehring said. "She does a great job running our offense, but she's also aggressive herself and can attack the second ball, which makes her difficult to defend."
Hoornaert recorded a whopping 1,130 assists in just 37 matches. From the back line, she was credited with 44 aces and made 311 digs. The sophomore also proved versatile at the net, accumulating 70 kills and 36 blocks.
Kollman led the Cardinals in total kills with 319. In the back row, she popped up more than 500 digs and delivered 35 aces. She made 27 stops at the net.
"Harper has continued to develop into a very complete player," she said. "She's an outstanding attacker, but what sometimes gets overlooked is how good she is defensively and how much she can impact a match in every phase."
Mehring said one of Carrington's biggest strengths is the number of offensive weapons the Cardinals have on the court.
"We have multiple hitters who can score from different positions, and even our setter is an offensive threat," Mehring said. "That versatility allows us to attack teams in a lot of different ways and should make us difficult to defend. If we can stay in system and get all of those weapons involved, we have the potential to be a very dynamic offensive team."
Senior Calleigh Hewitt will be returning for a final go-around with the Cardinals. Hewitt earned All-Region honors last season for her performances at the right side and outside positions. Mehring said Hewitt has continued to become a stronger and more aggressive attacker.
The head coach also said Marah Johnson and Maara Kutz have made significant strides, and both have the ability to become high-level hitters for the Cardinals this season. Based on what Mehring has seen in practices, Mya Neis will provide the Cardinals a strong option on the right side.
"What excites me most about this group is how much more complete and versatile they've become," Mehring said. "We have several players who can destroy the ball, defend at a high level and contribute in different roles. Their experience, competitiveness and willingness to keep improving should allow us to do a lot of different things this year."
While the Cardinals' front row will be stacked, the team has a little bit of work to do in the back row.
Mehring is returning her libero, Journey Peltier, this season. The head coach said she is hoping Peltier's experience can help the Cardinals' defensive game in the back half of the court.
"The more in-system we can be, the more dominant we can be offensively," Mehring said. "Defensively, we've focused on extending rallies, making our opponents earn every point, and turning those defensive opportunities into offensive ones."
The Cardinals' next game is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22. Carrington is slated to travel to Devils Lake. Mehring is expecting a large crowd to come cheer on her squad against the Firebirds.
"Cardinal fans are the best," Mehring said. "The support our girls receive from our community is incredible, and having a loud, packed gym makes playing at home special. We're grateful for everyone who shows up and supports Cardinal volleyball, and we hope to give them a lot to cheer about this season."