Gathering his volleyball troops after practice last week, Roseville coach Greg Ueland shared some good, if confusing, news.
The Raiders had moved to No. 1 in Class 3A in the QRF, a mathematical formula used to rank and seed teams. One player admitted not knowing what that really meant. Another, junior Bre Maloney, enjoyed the notoriety of reaching the top spot for the first time.
"That's awesome because I think sometimes we're seen as the underdog, so it's nice to be No. 1," Maloney said. "I'm ready for us to be that."
State tournament appearances the past three years have put Rose-ville in the upper-middle echelon of the state's largest programs. The next step: playing deeper into the tournament. The Raiders reached the semifinals last year for the first time in program history.
Such a run will require what Roseville does well — defense, passing and serving — plus a more dynamic offense. The Raiders believe they possess both this fall.
Starting the season with a 3-0 sweep at Minnetonka, senior Haley Kauth said, "pushed our confidence to where we feel like we can do anything this year."
After sweeping North St. Paul and Hopkins, the Raiders were tested throughout a 3-2 victory at Rosemount. In all, Roseville started the season 7-0 and did not drop a game in five of those matches. Per usual, the defense, passing and serving were strong.
"We don't give up on a point," said Kauth, a six-year varsity veteran and the state's career leader with more than 2,300 digs. "We chase balls down and sometimes, I don't think the other teams expect some of those balls to come back over."