Lady Lynx VB has height, veteran experience

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The Lady Lynx volleyball team finished third in the Southern 2A last year, falling to White Pine in the regional semifinals, 3-2. Two seniors off that team were lost to graduation, and the Lynx will need to replace strong middle and outside hitters. Luckily, the Lynx still have some size and veteran experience to make for a relatively smooth transition.

“I have a junior (Annie Katschke) who got more playing time on JV last year because of that senior, but she’s got some height at 6’2”, so I’m trying to get her time at middle hitter,” LCHS head coach Chantel Holt informed.

Two setters also return to set up those hitters with well-placed passes. Junior Malloree Gonzalez and senior Sophie Donohue bring plenty of experience but are working out some kinks in preseason games. Holt said she jokingly told them to stop setting the ball to each other in their first match at Valley High School, a 3-2 loss. 

“We came back in the first game and ended up winning 27-25…I made an adjustment in the fifth because we were rotating through pretty quickly…and we got caught with one of my starters in the back row,” Holt explained. These are the games in which you want to make and learn from those mistakes, though.

As far as the league goes, Holt assumes White Pine will be good again this year despite lacking depth. “I guess they won the Battle Mountain Tournament, which we decided not to go to this year, but they only have like nine players,” she informed. “Needles has a brand new coach this year. Word is they have a lot of new players who came out…but Needles is usually quite competitive, and Green Valley has stayed pretty consistent.”

Senior libero Lakyla Kulani is reportedly “doing pretty well and stepping into that role.” Her and senior Brylie Somers have the most experience serving, and Holt is confident in the team’s return of service. 

The back-to-back title runs have resulted in effective recruitment, as 15 freshmen came out for the team. Holt actually had to cut four of them and is carrying 11 players on junior varsity.

This weekend the Lynx will play in the White Pine Tournament, and next weekend LCHS will be at the Las Vegas Classic, Aug. 28-29. Games will be played at Del Sol, Durango and Sunrise Mountain high schools. The Lady Lynx play their first league games at home against American Heritage Academy starting at 5 p.m. on Sept. 11.