Wasilla volleyball team approaches title defense campaign with ‘new season, new slate’ mindset

Last year, the Wasilla High volleyball team ended a title drought that lasted more than 20 years by capping their dominant season with an undefeated record and a 4A state championship trophy.

Of the 11 players on this year’s varsity roster, eight are returners, including all-state tournament team selections Allison Devine, Layla Hays and Mylee Anderson, who are among the seven seniors. Head coach Katie Oxspring is grateful to have such a high level of continuity even though the 2024 team is still finding its identity.

“It’s awesome because we’ve had these girls all together playing at a higher level, which has carried over really great,” she said. “But it is a new team, new dynamics, and one person that’s different adds a totally new dynamic to the team.”

Prior to the start of the season, many of their players hadn’t played volleyball since last year’s state championship, so they felt like they were “starting over” in a sense. However, the Warriors appear to have picked up where they left off as they still have yet to lose a regular-season match.

“It’s been a great streak and we’ve seen a lot of really great teams, so that’s great,” Oxspring said. “We’ve been able to play a lot of different lineups and players … It is nice to win, but it’s also been great learning experience every single game.”

Oxspring calls Devine the “heartbeat” of the team and a core leader along with Anderson.

“We also have great leadership in the back row with Kenadee (Shelton), our libero, and Layla in the middle,” she said. “Every single person has a role, even the kids that don’t get in, they have a huge role in our program and on our team.”

Devine, a senior outside hitter, has continued to take on a bigger leadership role during her years on the team.

“That feels really good and I’ve worked pretty hard to be a leader,” Devine said. ”I have worked hard to be on varsity for the last four years, so I think it’s earned but also a great honor.”

The Warriors came into the year with a “new slate, new season” mind-set and expected to get every one of their opponents’ best shots after they went undefeated through the regular season last year.

“There was definitely some pressure but we know we’re not the same team as last year, and we’re just going to work as hard as we did last year and, win or lose, be good teammates,” Devine said.

Even some of the players who are new to the varsity level are already “meshing well,” Devine said.

The only team to top Wasilla this season has been Dimond. The Lynx have earned three shorter-match tournament wins over Wasilla, with the first two coming at the Chugiak Invitational to start the season and most recently at the West Spiketacular late last month.

“That was kind of nice, not because I don’t like losing, but it’s kind of nice to get that loss out of the way and get that pressure off your back a little bit,” Oxspring said. “You learn so much from your losses.”

Falling to the Lynx the first time around was frustrating to the players but also helped refocus them on where they need to learn and grow.

“It’s a learning experience and just brings us more fire when we do play Dimond and different teams,” Devine said. “It just makes us want to win even more.”

Her “biggest hope” is to end her senior season the same way she ended her junior year — by going out as a state champion. She believes this team is capable of making a successful title defense.

“I think as long as we keep acting as a team and keep playing together and celebrating each other’s wins, we can do it,” Devine said.

While the Warriors would love nothing more than to win regions and make it back to the state finals again, their main focus at the moment is to be consistent and steadily continue to rise.

“We still have a lot to learn and a lot to practice,” Oxspring said. “We just need to rise, not get too high or too low. We like to just stay steady the whole time in games and practice.”

The Warriors and Lynx face off on Dimond’s home court on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in their first regular-season nonconference match that could very well be a potential state preview.