Lansing volleyball begins state title defense

The 2023 season was one to remember for the Lansing volleyball team, to say the least. Not only did they win their third consecutive sectional title, they steamrolled their way to a first-ever state championship, conquering Class B. Ten months on from that unforgettable weekend in Glens Falls, the Bobcats are gearing up for a new campaign.

This year’s team will have a much different look than the one who hoisted the state title last November. Seven players have graduated, three of whom earned All-State honors last season. Despite some significant turnover in the roster, head coach Nicole Lamie knows there’s still plenty of talent that’s capable of making another deep playoff run.

“They understand it’s not last year’s team, but they also understand that they have so much potential with this group that’s in the gym now,” Lamie said. “We have goals set. We have individual goals. We have team goals. I know that they are not going to waste an opportunity or a drill to keep working towards those goals.”

For those returning, they’ll bring some valuable experience and a winning pedigree to a younger team.

“I think they’re more fearless,” Lamie said. “They missed being in the gym together. They’re celebrating more things in the gym when other players take chances or when other players do something really good. They really are trying to build each other up and incorporating members that weren’t on the team last year and really trying to celebrate and build them up and include them.”

One of the Bobcats’ key pieces this season will no doubt be Jordan Brinkley. The junior is coming off a stellar sophomore season where she was named a Second Team All-State selection and an IAC First Team All-Star as a right hitter. According to Lamie, she will most likely be shifted to the left side of the attack as an outside hitter. No matter where she is on the court, Brinkley will rack up plenty of kills.

“Jordan has this natural talent that has just grown with her commitment and her offseason training,” Lamie said. “We joke that we all think she’s gotten taller, and we’re not sure if she’s still growing or not, but she’s definitely growing as an individual player, as a team player, and an athlete.”

Piper Mason is the only other returning IAC All-Star, selected to the Second Team. Also a junior hitter, Mason will complement Brinkley in attack and will make the step up as a leader on the team.

“Piper has these natural leadership skills,” Lamie said. “Piper is a solid all-around player. She really is setting the bar high for her teammates. She wants to lift her teammates up, and she just wants everyone to try their hardest all the time. I’m really looking to Piper for a leadership role.”

With half of last year’s team graduated, there are some holes to fill in the starting lineup, namely the setter and libero. For the former, there will be massive shoes to fill with three-time All-State selection Kayla Palmer now playing Division I volleyball at Elon University. Junior Leilani Drake and freshman Alyssa Johnston will be tasked at that position after being on the junior varsity team last year. As for replacing Jolene Gunther as the libero, sophomore Chloe Case and freshman Isis Peters are two of many players interested in the position.

Another notable change is their home court. Over the summer, the high school gymnasium floor was refurbished as part of the BOBCAT capital project that was approved last January. The Bobcats are ecstatic to play on a new-look surface. 

“It’s a little different with the floor,” Lamie said. “It adds a little different dynamic, but we’re getting used to it. It’s actually stickier. It’s not as slippery as in years past, so we’ll see how it goes. Opponents will be surprised when they come in and see the gym floor. It hasn’t been done since the ‘70s.”

The Bobcats will naturally have a target on their back as the reigning state champions. But they’re here to prove that last season’s triumph was far from a one-off.

“The other teams are gonna try their best and do their best against us,” Lamie said. “They’re gonna take advantage of when they have the momentum, and they’re going to celebrate that. It’s our job to work, to make sure that anything that doesn’t go our way, we grow from it, whether it’s right there in that game or whether we reflect on it at practice the next day. These athletes are ready to defend that. They’re ready to show them last year wasn’t a fluke, and we’re here to play no matter what the outcome is. We’re here to show them that we all have it.”

Lansing opens up the season on September 7 as they take part in a tournament in Corning.