Green didn’t have to look far to sign his first player as Gering’s 6-foot-1 middle hitter Whitney Roth decided to join the Cougar volleyball program. Roth said it was an easy choice after seeing them win the national title a couple weeks ago.
“WNCC is a great place and it is close to home. It feels great to be going there,” she said. “With their success, it is a great place to be and Chris [Green] has them going in the right direction. He really knows what he is doing so I felt it was a great place to go.”
Gering coach Craig Schadwinkel couldn’t be more pleased to see another Gering player play for Chris Green. Since Green has taken over, five Gering players have donned the Blue and Gold of WNCC – Sara Mayo and Heidi Harms (2000-2001), Nicole Gonzalez (2001-2002), Jenny Quicke (2003-2004) and Stacie Meisner (2006-2007).
“I couldn’t think of a better place for her to move up to and play for especially after their recent success,” Schadwinkel said. “What a great honor for her.”
Roth had a standout senior season for the Bulldogs helping them to an 18-10 mark. Gering won 11 of their first 12 matches of the season. Roth also led or was among the team’s leader in many categories.The area that stood out, though, was her presence on the offensive side of the ball. Roth led the team in kills 178 and also hitting percentage with a whopping .560 percentage. She was also second in solo blocks.
Green said that Roth will fit in to his style of play for the next two years.
“I think her height and her court vision is there,” he said. “What Craig and Gering High School has done with her in the program will make her an effective middle blocker. She might not be right away an explosive-type player, but she is going to be effective for us. She knows the court and she knows where the holes are on the court. She does a great job of getting things done, getting a kill when a team needs a kill.”
Green said that she will have competition at the middle blocker spot. The Cougars return NJCAA all-tournament team member Fatima Balza back. Also, Chelsea Lyles has an option to return if she doesn’t sign someplace else for basketball.
“Whitney will have some competition in the middle already with freshman coming back,” he said. “I think her height and the skills she has learned here at Gering High School will allow her to contribute and be a great player with the Cougar volleyball team. We are excited to have her and we are excited to having her join our team as early as next month.”
Roth, who announced the decision with her parents, Rhonda and Ted, alongside, is a bit nervous stepping onto the court with the national champions. But she is ready for the challenges to get better as a player.
“I am nervous but I practiced with them a few times and it is so totally different then high school ball. The speed of the game is so much faster and I have to get used to that,” she said. “[Them winning the national title] makes it so much better to be joining a team that is the best in the country right now at their level.”
Roth started to take an interest in WNCC when she was watching them play her freshman year in high school. Then, former Gering player and WNCC Cougar Stacie Meisner talked to her about the program here and there, telling her what it is like at the college level. Roth also played club volleyball for Green’s Panhandle Volleyball Club.
Roth’s plans are to study Radiology or business marketing and then transfer to a four-year school to play volleyball.
“Hopefully, I want to transfer on to somewhere and if that happens it will be great,” she said. “Gering is a good place to be and there are a lot of memories here.”
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