Lakota West is known for being a powerhouse, especially in sports. The Firebirds have gone to the state final four, won state, and have consistently won the Greater Miami Conference Championships (GMC) in almost every sport. However, football and boys’ basketball are not the only two sports that West sports fans and students should pay attention to. Lakota West offers a variety of sports, including an incredibly overlooked sport: Volleyball. With the volleyball season just kicking off last Monday, the Firebirds currently stand at 4-1, with a 3-set sweep over Little Miami, a tough 4-set loss against Harrison, and a strong 3-0 tournament win, dropping 0 sets in the process. Despite their first week ending at a solid 4-1, the best season start since 2015, they still have their whole season ahead. In her second year as varsity head coach, Coach Ali Hile sees big things for the Firebirds’ future: A GMC Championship. 

The West Press got to interview Head Coach Ali Hile, who seems very excited about their upcoming season. Despite this being only her second year as the varsity head coach, she has been in the program for a long time, starting in the program as a player, and then as a coach, working her way up. 

Hile said that the team has a “natural skill and talent…but the team camaraderie needs to be built on with time, as this is a new team where everyone has not played together.” 

Coach Hile also has a strong belief that “looking at every year, this is the best chance that we have to win the GMC, and it will take work and will certainly not be easy.” 

The team is certainly built off of many leaders and skilled players, including senior captain Brookelyn Humphery, who has been the starting Libero since her sophomore year when she took the leap from Edgewood to Lakota West, and has undeniably brought her talent with her. The West Press got the chance to catch her after practice and get her thoughts and opinions about the season. 

Humphrey believes that, as a team, the biggest challenge that they will have to overcome is “getting in our heads. Especially during the tough games like Seton, Lakota East, and Mason.”

However, Humphrey, like Coach Hile, believes that the Firebirds have a strong chance at taking the GMC title, but like Hile, knows it will be a challenge.

Overall, both the head coach and the players seem to be very excited and hopeful for their upcoming season, starting with a strong record of 4-1, and hopefully ending with a winning season and, finally, the GMC title.