For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing and PR Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: October 12, 2026
Chargers Building New Volleyball Tradition
Fennimore -A new team has debuted at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, giving students another opportunity to compete, connect and create a new tradition on campus.
Southwest Tech’s women’s club volleyball team has begun practicing for its inaugural season under Head Coach Jerica Henkel. The team practices Monday and Wednesday evenings and has also scrimmaged against Highland High School. The fall schedule is intentionally relaxed, with the team preparing for a more rigorous spring season that will include tournament play.
Front row (L-R): Sumaryn Halverson, Highland; Elivia Guth, Monroe; Emery Riemenapp, Livingston; Jenna Ingvalson, Mineral Point; and Yezlin Mondragon-Gaytan, Highland. Back row: Jerica Henkel, Head Coach; Faith Hoffman, Highland; Madison Clauer, Lancaster; Addison Rounds, Boscobel; Manhattyn Udelhofen, Potosi; and Chelsey Huebsch, La Farge.
For Henkel, the opportunity marks a return to coaching. A Fennimore native, she played volleyball throughout high school before attending Viterbo University, where she played and coached a club team. She later coached varsity volleyball in Fennimore before stepping away after starting a family. “I love the idea of building it from the ground up,” she said. “I was itching to get back in the gym.”
The team includes students with a variety of volleyball experiences and academic interests.
Manhattyn Udelhofen, a Potosi graduate studying nursing, played varsity volleyball throughout high school. She said joining the new team provided an opportunity to remain active while meeting fellow students. “I think it’s great,” she said. “It’s a good way to meet new people. I didn’t know most of these girls before. I did play some of them in high school, but now we’re on a team together, which is really fun.”
Addison Rounds, of Boscobel, is an agribusiness student who has played volleyball since seventh grade. She has experience as a setter and hitter and saw the team as a way to establish friendships with students outside her academic program.
Faith Hoffman, of Highland, is enrolled in the nursing program. She also began playing volleyball in seventh grade and played multiple front-row positions in high school. Hoffman said Southwest Tech provided an affordable option to pursue nursing, and the addition of volleyball made the decision even better.
The players say team bonding has already started. “I feel like we’re all making great connections with each other,” said Rounds.
Hoffman agreed, noting the players’ different strengths are already contributing to the team’s chemistry. She said she hopes to recreate the strong team atmosphere she experienced in high school.
The team is part of the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference and expects to compete against other club programs, including state universities and technical colleges. A scrimmage with Blackhawk Technical College is also planned. The spring season is expected to include Saturday travel and tournaments before wrapping up in early April, with a potential opportunity to advance to nationals.
For Henkel, however, success in year one extends beyond wins. “Student first, athlete second,” she said. “I want to make sure that it’s a good experience for them overall at Southwest Tech, not necessarily just volleyball.”
