PREVIEW: Lake volleyball

The Lake volleyball program has won six consecutive league titles and made three consecutive regional tournament appearances under the guidance of 12th-year head coach Amy Vorst, and with one of the state’s largest and deepest senior classes, the Flyers will look to go even farther this season.

“They’re unmatched,” Vorst said of her senior class. “It's not just talent and leadership. Leadership's a huge part of it, but it's the climate and culture of this team. These girls go out of their way for each other. They'll do the dirty work so that somebody else doesn't have to do it. I can't say enough positive things. They play for each other. They know what the other person's going to do. That's really helpful on the court, too, because they've been playing together for so long.”

Last year, Lake finished 19-6 overall and 13-1 in NBC play. They won 18 consecutive sets before falling in the regional semifinal to Buckeye Valley, which was led by Ohio State bound Alia Schoonover. The Flyers lost just one player to graduation, albeit a key one in Savanna Saunders, and saw the non-return of Harlow Haberland. Both were Honorable Mention All-NBC players.

This year, however, Lake features a 10-member senior class, including six all-conference players.

Reigning NBC Player of the Year Mylah Vorst returns in the middle and highlights the group. She had 269 kills with 60 blocks while hitting .356 as a junior.

“If we're in system, she's obviously our first option and what we're seeing a lot, especially over the summer, is teams know that so if they put a triple block up, the other girls know that it's time to step up and they know that they have to cover,” Amy Vorst said. “She knows that we're going to get everybody's best game and everybody's going to be at least double, if not triple blocking the middle.”

Vorst is just as high on her First Team All-NBC setter Lucy Boos, who had 334 assists, 252 digs and 106 kills last year.

“Lucy is our vocal captain on the floor,” Amy Vorst said. “The effort that she is giving is ridiculous. She is so fast, and she gives us everything she has whenever she's out there.”

The class also includes a trio of Second Team All-NBC selections: Kennedy Falkenberg, Calli Conley and Laynie Meadows. Caity Extine, who was tabbed Honorable Mention All-NBC, is also back.

“Kennedy Falkenberg had a great summer. She's another kid that's really showing how high her volleyball IQ is,” Amy Vorst said. “And then Calli, she's something special. It's crazy how well she's playing, and her IQ is unmatched. She reads the hitters. She knows where to go. Even if we change our defense, it doesn't affect her. She's playing great volleyball right now.

“Laynie has been crushing it. She is a six-rotation kid for us. She's an outside hitter who sometimes goes to the right, but she plays middle back. She's another leader on our team. She was a DS for her club team, so she hasn't hit in a while, and you wouldn't be able to tell. I thought she attacked the ball super well this summer.”

With Haberland’s departure, Extine will move from the outside back to her more natural position in the middle. She’ll join the rest of the senior group, which also includes Jada Jerew, Kortny Rollins, Sophia Rudey and Cardinal Stritch transfer Gabby Cathers.

“They know that this is it. This is their last time around, so they want to leave at the end of our season with no regrets,” Amy Vorst said. “They've been working super hard. They've been focused on our goals already. We had our goals in place in June.”

As far as where the team excels the most, Vorst is pleased with her team’s defense, serve reception and ball control.

“A lot of that comes from Calli and her leadership,” she said. “She's expanded her range defensively.”

Lake’s non-conference schedule will once again include Perrysburg, St. Ursula and Northview. They’ll also play Anthony Wayne and Sandusky Perkins, among others.

“We definitely try to beef it up every year,” Vorst said. “Every year we try to make it harder and harder to get ready for the tournament run after season. Everybody we play in non-league, of course we want to win those matches, but that's not why we schedule our non-league.”

All-in-all, Amy Vorst said her team’s culture is what makes them so successful.

“I’m so happy I get to be with them for another season,” she said. “This team is so special to me. Mylah and Lainey have been friends since forever. I have pictures of them when they're missing their front teeth and they were playing outside and doing biddy ball. This group being so close, I think we just look forward to every day together. It's going to be the hardest end of a season ever, no matter if we end up in Dayton, if we don't end up in Dayton, whatever. They're going to work hard so that it doesn't have to end.”