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ALPENA – The Alpena High School varsity volleyball team opened its home slate with a pair of wins Thursday night, then turned its attention to a season defined by new roles, returning leadership and a familiar Big North Conference standard.
The Wildcats beat Cheboygan 2-1 and Hillman 2-0 in front of their home crowd, giving first-year lineup pieces an early chance to settle in. Coach Kolby Andrews said the results were encouraging, but the larger story of 2026 is how Alpena replaces production lost from last year's senior class while staying competitive in one of northern Michigan's toughest leagues.
"Last year's senior class had a couple of key attackers for us," Andrews said. "Both of my primary outside hitters were seniors last year, and a couple of defensive specialists also graduated. Filling those roles has been a priority so far this season."
That work has already forced movement across the roster. Andrews said several returning players have changed positions, while a handful of juniors and sophomores new to the varsity group have been asked to contribute sooner than they might have a year ago.
"There have been some adjustments made to fill those new needs," Andrews said. "A few players have been able to pivot and adjust to new positions, so that's been working out well so far this season."
The coach pointed to experience as the reason those changes have not felt chaotic. Alpena returns six seniors who were already part of the program's core last fall.
"Consistency right now comes from the fact that I do have six seniors that are familiar with the team and have played in important roles last season," Andrews said. "That group includes Grace Cameron, her sister Madelynn and a couple of my hitters from last year."
Grace Cameron was a primary distributor a season ago. Madelynn Cameron was one of the Wildcats' most reliable attackers and defensive contributors. Andrews said that combination of familiarity (sisters who have already played together in conference and postseason settings) gives the staff a foundation while younger players learn the varsity pace.
The long-term target has not changed. Andrews said the underlying goal each season is to compete with the teams in the Big North Conference, a league that regularly features Petoskey, Traverse City Central, Traverse City West and Cadillac near the top.
Last year, Alpena pushed toward a 20-win season and collected several key victories against Sault Ste. Marie and Gaylord. Those wins, Andrews said, showed the Wildcats can take sets from conference opponents when they serve aggressively and stay organized in transition. The next step is less about collecting early August trophies and more about raising the floor against the league's best.
"The goal this year is to maintain our level of competition in the BNC, and to raise our game to compete with teams like Petoskey, Traverse City and Cadillac," Andrews said.
That climb starts with chemistry. Tournament matches in August are often played in abbreviated formats, and Thursday's home event was no exception. Andrews said the value of those nights is not only the record, but how quickly a reshaped lineup communicates in serve receive, covers tips and trusts new attackers on the pins.
"The early goal is to find the cohesion that will allow them to accomplish their goals," Andrews said.
The wins over Cheboygan and Hillman offered a first public look at that process. Cheboygan arrived with a strong start to its own season, making the 2-1 result a useful measuring stick. The sweep of Hillman gave Alpena a chance to finish the night in front of its student section with cleaner execution.
Andrews did not treat either match as a finished product. He described the coming weeks as a search for continuity: who owns the outside hitting roles once occupied by last year's seniors, which defensive specialists can stabilize the back row, and how quickly the new juniors and sophomores can absorb varsity scouting reports.