By Andy Walter

CAMDEN — Sarah Husemann has done some traveling since the last time she coached volleyball in Kent County.

Part of a U.S. military family, the former Campus Community and Polytech High coach has lived in places like California, Alabama and Germany over the last two decades.

When she moved back to the Dover area for the third time, Husemann wasn’t trying to get back into high school coaching.
Somehow, though, she ended up as the head coach at Caesar Rodney this fall.

“Everybody kind of kept saying, ‘Hey, CR’s open, CR needs a coach,’” said Husemann, who coached at Polytech 19 years ago. “I wasn’t looking for it, but it’s been a blessing in disguise.”

For the Riders’ veteran players, Husemann is their third varsity head coach in three seasons. But CR’s players dealt with the transition, went 10-5 and earned the program’s sixth straight trip to the DIAA state tournament.

The 12th-seeded Riders host No. 21 Cape Henlopen (7-8) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in a first-round matchup.

The tourney gets started on Wednesday night with No. 15 Smyrna (9-6) hosting No. 18 Concord (12-3) and No. 20 Polytech (10-5) traveling to No. 13 Delaware Military (9-5). Both matches start at 6:30 p.m.

CR’s players said they just learned to adjust to the new coaches over the last few seasons.

“It’s challenging,” said senior setter Gabrielle Davis. “It was weird this year having a brand-new coach that I never even heard of. But I think she’s done a great job.

“Definitely there were different expectations through all three of the coaches. You’ve just got to adapt to it.”

“This team is used to routine,” said senior middle blocker Jessica Butler. “So it’s definitely been different. But I think we’ve adjusted well.

“All three of our coaches have been good. Even though it’s a different coach, we all have to figure out how to work together.”

Of CR’s losses this season, all five have come against teams that are in the state tournament and three of them went four or five sets.

Facing Henlopen North rival Cape Henlopen means both squads are familiar with each other.

The Riders beat the Vikings, 3-1, on Oct. 21. None of the four sets were decided by more than eight points.

Cape had won the previous two meetings.

“We both know each other’s weaknesses so we know what to watch out for,” said Butler. “But we have to put the other things aside and just focus on the match that we’re in.”

Of course, only one of the two squads will advance to play at fifth-seeded Newark Charter (12-3) in Saturday evening’s second round. CR is looking for its third first-round tourney victory in the past six seasons.

Davis said there’s always something different about playing in the state tournament.

“I love it,” she said. “The adrenaline. It just makes me feel like I’m playing as high as I can. And, even if we lose, if we all go out there and do what we can, it just feels so good.”

There are five seniors on this year’s CR roster. Besides Butler and Davis, that group includes Makenna Diem, Kaitlyn Hand and Lindsey Shuba.

Husemann, who has a daughter on the Riders’ JV squad, said she likes the way her players compete.

“They really keep fighting, no matter the score, no matter who we’re playing,” she said. “One of the other things I really like about them is they’re fantastic students. I don’t have to worry about their grades. They’re responsible.

“But this is also the most talented team I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching. We can focus on higher-level things and not the basics.”

Husemann also respects the fact that the players have had to work with different coaching staffs. She can appreciate that it’s not always easy.

“That’s really hard to go through three coaches and have a different coach every year,” she said. “I’ve tried to make it as easy as possible but we all have different personalities. But they’ve been really fun to work with. They seem to be a tight-knit group and that’s been good for the team as well.”