MONTAGUE – Following the loss of most of the starting lineup from its outstanding 2020 squad, the Montague volleyball team has a very young team playing a very tough schedule this season.

So it’s very fortunate for the Wildcats to player like senior Morgan Netcott, who holds the team together with her incredible defensive skills and leadership abilities.

Growing up, Netcott often found herself around volleyball at one level or another. Her mother coached the Montague middle school team, and was the assistant coach for the varsity squad for a time.

“I watched a lot of volleyball games growing up,” Netcott said. “I was always at the third grade games, and as soon as I could play, I was on the court.”

Once she stepped onto the volleyball court, Netcott rarely stepped off. When she was not playing for Montague, she played club volleyball, eventually joining Inside Out Volleyball, a club coached by Rick Rykse, the coach at Muskegon Community College.

With all of her experience, Netcott quickly became one of the most skilled players in the Montague program.

“At Inside Out, you play on a team of the best people against other really great teams,” Netcott explained. “You have to be good to compete, and you get a lot better playing on those teams.”

In her sophomore year, Netcott didn’t just make the Montague varsity, but earned a spot in the starting lineup as well. As a junior she became a libero, a specialized position in the back row, typically the best defensive player on the team.

“She has great instincts, and she does an incredible job covering the court,” said Montague Coach Shawn Bectel. “The girls are always trying to get the ball to her so she can set something up.”

Netcott knew she wanted to be a libero early in her career, and worked to develop the necessary skills. She got good at setting up passes to the front row and learned to survey the court from her position in the back.

Netcott is constantly diving to the floor for digs to keep the ball in play. She currently has a pretty incredible 477 digs so far this season. Only one teammate – Peyton Johnson – has more than 200, while three teammates have more than 100.

She is also fourth on her team in service aces with 40.

Netcott has proven herself not only as a skilled athlete, but as a leader as well. As a sophomore – her first season on varsity –  her teammates elected her as captain.

“It really says a lot about her character,” Coach Bectel said. “For her to be elected a captain by people she had never played with before was something special. It’s great to have someone like Morgan on your team that you know you can trust.”

Netcott embraced her role as captain, a position she has held all three years of varsity. Bectel says her leadership derives from her work ethic and attitude, which command respect from her teammates.

Last year the Wildcats were a team with very high aspirations. The finished with a 34-7 record, won the West Michigan Conference championship, and were hoping for a long run in the state tournament, before falling in a stunning upset to rival Whitehall in a Division 2 district championship match.

Netcott was the only starter from that team to return this season, and the young Wildcats have struggled at times. They currently have a 10-28 overall record, but have performed better in conference play with a 5-2 mark.

With such an inexperienced team around her, Netcott has worked extra hard in the leadership department, trying to keep morale up as her teammates struggle and learn against some very tough competition.

“Since I’m on the court so much more than the other girls, I do my best to encourage everyone and to keep the other girls positive,” Netcott said.

Over her career, Netcott has established herself as one of the best players in the area. She has been an All-Conference selection for the past two years and is aiming for a third honor this season.

With her strong resume, Netcott is looking to the future. Once her time at Montague is over, she plans to move to the next level as a collegiate athlete.

“Morgan always does things the right way, and it’s great to have someone like that on your team,” Bectel said. “She really is the glue that holds this team together.”