The Iola High School Mustang volleyball team returned to the hardwood with multiple players quickly acclimating in hopes of making the varsity squad.
After years of having their starting lineup locked down thanks to dominant senior classes, the Mustangs enter 2025 with a new coach and athletes looking to pick up where they left off after taking second in the Pioneer League last season.
“We’ve had more than 24 girls come out,” Iola coach Lauren Moots said. “It makes it more energetic, a lot more competition and we’re happy to see it.”
Lily Lohman will be Iola’s only senior this season and brings more than her three years of varsity experience to the Mustangs. Her versatility allows her to make an impact at middle blocker and outside hitter. With many sophomores and freshmen potentially taking the court for the varsity squad, her most precious asset may be her leadership skills and quietly leading by example.
Kinsey Jelinek, IHS junior, gets under a serve during a volleyball team drill Tuesday.
“Being here, being at practice and working hard, even just doing that helps not only us but everyone to get energized and ready,” Lohman said.
After serving as an assistant in 2024, Moots is not exactly working from a clean slate heading into 2025. Tuesday’s practice incorporated a myriad of drills, each focusing on a particular aspect of the game. From trying to pelt their teammates with pin-point serves in a game of Dead-Fish or trying to pass, dive and run at a shot in a series of fluid motions, Moots kept her players active and learning throughout the evening.
“Having a big freshman class, we’re able to load them up with energy, teach them and take them under our wing,” Moots said. “We want to provide them with the best quality of volleyball knowledge, IQ and gym atmosphere. We want them to love the game. We want them to keep playing and hopefully our program continues to grow.”
Although having a goal of developing for the future, the girls also have a win-now mentality. The Mustangs finished in the top three of the Pioneer League the past two seasons and hope to pick up where they left off. But it will take some effort.
“We’re just giving all of the freshmen some grace,” junior Dally Curry said. “We were all there once. We know what it’s like to have older girls with more experience. We just want to encourage them and make them want to love the game.”
Iola will not have long to get the underclassmen up to speed before they take the court. The Mustangs host a jamboree at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, then jump into the regular season for a tournament in Rossville Sept. 6.
Lily Lohman, Iola High School senior, puts up a serve during a volleyball team drill Tuesday inside the IHS gymnasium.
“We’ve had summer camp. We’ve had summer workouts,” Moots said. “They all know me and I’m pretty easy to read. I’ll tell you what I think. But I’ll also lift you up. Hopefully, they buy into it. I’m trying to push them to be the best athletes. But I’m going to love you like my own kid.”
