Prep volleyball preview: Pocatello ready to take the last step following third-place finish at State

POCATELLO — Fresh disconnected a third-place decorativeness successful nan 4A authorities tourney past year, nan Pocatello Thunder, down All-State extracurricular hitter Abby Lusk, are fresh to make different tally astatine a title this year.

Lusk, who was named second-team All-State arsenic a sophomore past year, will beryllium expected to transportation a dense load again this season. But, caput coach Paige Leatham said, location is acquisition abound for nan squad arsenic a whole.

Pocatello returns 7 seniors joining Lusk, their lone All-State action from 2023. And those returning players, Leatham added, understand what it takes to triumph — thing immoderate of them learned past season.

“Last year, we did a really bully occupation of changing nan civilization of Poky and helping (the players) to recognize that they tin beryllium winners,” Leatham said. “This year, it’s conscionable uncovering our hit again and putting successful a batch of activity — getting stronger and faster.”

The Thunder took portion successful a younker volleyball jamboree successful Idaho Falls Tuesday night, competing against immoderate of nan champion players nan authorities has to offer. Leatham said that her squad “held our own” against nan talented competition, but nan coaching unit did usage nan acquisition to place immoderate areas wherever nan squad must improve.

“It was awesome because those sets don’t count arsenic thing isolated from reps,” nan coach said, adding that nan squad must amended connected its set-receive and passing. “We person nan dense hitters, we’ve sewage to beryllium capable to enactment successful hit and capable to find them and create a bully group for them.”

Getting those sets is 1 area wherever Poky is looking to grow. Junior setter Josie Haymore was connected nan JV squad arsenic a sophomore past year, but will beryllium thrown into nan occurrence arsenic nan starter and centerpiece of nan Thunder onslaught this season.

Haymore admitted that she is still moving to create a rapport pinch Lusk connected nan talented weapons surrounding her.

“I request to activity connected connecting pinch my hitters,” she said.

Josie Haymore sets during a Wednesday practice. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

That maturation will come, she believes, partially because of really adjacent nan full squad is.

“Everyone is specified awesome friends, and I deliberation that really helps because we’re much of a team, we spot each different and activity together well. That will thief america play better,” she said.

Leatham echoed that sentiment.

“This group is conscionable super-special,” she said. “This group conscionable automatically does nan small things, and they conscionable emotion each other.”

The coach echoed that claim, saying nan full squad showed up astatine her location this play for an impromptu team-building sleepover.

“They conscionable collapsed my location for a sleepover,” Leatham said. “Those kinds of things, they virtually emotion each different — team-bonding is ne'er an rumor for this team, and that’s different from a batch of nan teams that I’ve coached successful nan past.”

Having a coagulated camaraderie takes 1 point disconnected nan sheet of nan Poky coaches, who, Leatham said, tin attraction each their efforts connected improving what nan squad does connected nan tribunal — because location are nary concerns disconnected it.

“We person nan powerfulness — we person nan talent — this twelvemonth to spell moreover farther than we did past year,” Leatham said.

Pocatello starts its play Friday astatine nan Peggy Peterson Invitational successful Pocatello.