This year’s Oak Harbor High School volleyball team brings a quiet strength to the court. (Submitted photo)

OAK HARBOR – Last year’s Oak Harbor High School volleyball team went further than any team before it, ending the season as the 2025 OHSAA Division IV regional runner-up. Six of the team’s members graduated last spring, leaving Head Coach Kaytlynn Joseph with less experienced players and a team with a much different personality this season. But don’t count them out yet.

This year’s volleyball team has a quiet strength that may just explode at the net.

Joseph said last year’s team reached regionals because they had the determination to get there.

“They had a lot of personality and the drive to want to win. They were fiery and feisty,” she said. “They wanted to win more than anything and had the grit to go after it.”

After losing six strong players, Joseph is approaching this year as a season of growth for the team. She wants them to grow their skills, their confidence, and their relationships with each other.

“For me, this year is definitely a rebuilding year for us,” she said.

Joseph will focus on the team’s strengths, including three seniors with varsity experience and a fourth with strong skills. One of those seniors is Joseph’s sister, Myley Sandwisch.

“All four of my seniors play crucial spots this year,” Joseph said. “I feel like I’m a little more challenging with my sister. I have higher expectations of her, but that comes from a good place.”

This year’s team has an asset completely opposing to last year’s team – composure. Joseph recognizes the advantages of that. That calm mindset can be critical in the fast-paced game of volleyball that requires split-second decisions, and it opens the door to building connections between the players in a game that relies on collaborative teamwork.

“The difference from last year to this year is a lot more calmness. They are very relaxed, very quiet, and very reserved,” Joseph said. “But they are taking a leadership role with the young players. That calmness gives us room to build relationships and that will help us be successful.”

That difference is also helping Joseph become a better coach.

“Going from a team that was fiery to a team that is calm helps me learn to be a better coach,” she said. “Every team is different. This team pushes me differently than last year’s team.”

Joseph won’t have too much longer to learn. She is expecting her first child soon, and Assistant Coach Logan Morris will take over as head coach.

“That will be good. She’ll bring her knowledge to the team. Her strengths are, she’s very confident and very knowledgeable,” Joseph said. “Logan really cares. She has the heart to do whatever it takes to help the girls succeed. She helps the girls learn things that are not my strengths.”

A different roster, a different coach, and a different mindset could make for an interesting year for Oak Harbor volleyball. But different can be powerful. Don’t expect a lot of noise when the players come on the court, but expect a lot of quiet success. If fans listen closely, they might just hear the Lady Rockets humming with a soft buzz that’s about to take off.