Heading back to school includes a great deal of exciting things: seeing familiar faces, wearing new school clothes, and getting back into a new routine. The students here at Lewis Cass have experienced all of these thrills this past week as school returned to session last Tuesday. The spirits were high, and almost everyone was excited to start another school year full of activities. The football team is ready to spend Friday nights at Owen’s Memorial Field, and the cross country team is looking forward to Saturday mornings on the course. Another team is also gearing up for yet another season: the Lewis Cass Lady Kings Volleyball team.
The Lady Kings are looking to bounce back after a rather difficult season. Last year’s squad was a rather young group and struggled to get into a groove. Thankfully, the team only lost one senior from last year and is familiar with playing together. The team this year will be led by four senior players who have all been a part of the team for all four years of their high school career. Senior outside hitter, Ava Hubner, said, “It feels good to step into the leadership role as a senior, but I feel like our whole starting lineup acts as leaders. I feel like we all help lead each other in different ways.” The seniors will be joined on the vrsity squad by two returning juniors and two sophomores. Head coach, Taylor Pullen, said she wants this squad to be “one well-oiled machine this year.”
The team has been working towards this goal by attending many summer open gyms, summer league games, and the Munciana Volleyball camp at the end of July, where the Kings got a taste of strong competition. The team was able to see competitors they will face again later in the season, such as the volleyball powerhouse program, Southwood. This was a great eye opener for the team for what is to come later in the season during conference play.
Obviously, the Lady Kings are looking to win many games this season and be competitive, but when asked what her goals for the team this season are, Coach Pullen said, “My goal specifically for this season as a coach is gaining the trust of the girls. I want them to know I am here, fully committed to them, and will do my best to push them to not only make them a better volleyball player, but a better young adult as well. I think being a coach is more than just teaching them the game, it’s about being a good role model for these girls, getting them out of their comfort zones, and helping them believe in themselves!” Coach Pullen is entering her first year as the varsity coach after coaching JV for five years prior. Pullen was a part of the Lewis Cass Volleyball team during her high school career and decided to give back to the program by filling a coaching position. Pullen also mentioned that the squad will be focusing more on their mindset. “Too many times in the past, our girls have beaten themselves up before even stepping onto the court. They went into matches in their minds already defeated. We cannot think like that anymore. Our mindset has to be positive, encouraging, and uplifting! We have to want to compete and be humble while doing it.” Senior, Emma Hildebrand shares these views as she said she “wants to be a positive role model for the underclassmen.”
The Lady Kings are looking to take these optimistic viewpoints into the season as the girls kick off competition this Saturday, at home during the Cass County Tournament. Make sure to come out and watch your Lady Kings compete with the first game starting at 6:00. The girls hope to see your support this season as they are looking to bring a winning record back to Lewis Cass Volleyball.
