Bulldog volleyball eyes bright future, state berth

SANDPOINT — Karen Alsager led the Sandpoint volleyball team to state eight straight times in nine seasons during her first stint as head coach. State became an expectation.

So far in her second stint, the Bulldogs have been unable to break through for a state berth. It’s certainly been a different experience for Alsager as she tries to rebuild the program from the ground up. But entering year three, the talent being groomed for the past few years has risen to the varsity level and Alsager sees a promising future for Sandpoint volleyball.

“I’m excited, but I know I need to be patient,” she said.

Sandpoint has a loaded sophomore class and three are slated to start in the team’s season opening match — Livia Owens, Vivian Platte and Audrey Sheffler.

The Bulldogs are hoping the young players can soften the blow of losing seven seniors from last year’s squad, including all-league selections Gabby Hicks and Bella Phillips.

“That’s a big step for them, but they’re very talented,” Alsager said.

SHS will also have three key seniors to lean on in Lauren Breuner, Emma Brown and Tori Pelkey. All three seem to feed off each other and bring a vibe and attitude to the team that Alsager really enjoys.

All it takes is a quick glance through the players’ daily journal entries for Alsager to notice just how quickly this team has become a family. It’s a special bond.

“There's just something about this group of girls, it feels good,” she said. “I wouldn’t trade the group of kids that I have, I love this group.”

The seniors have already been impressed with the dedication the three sophomores have displayed.

“The time that they’ve put in really shows,” Pelkey said.

Owens will start next to Pelkey, a third-year varsity player, at middle blocker and both will be captains this fall.

When Alsager rejoined the team in 2019, Pelkey was a sophomore. She said it’s been amazing to watch the senior transform into a leader on and off the volleyball court.

For Pelkey, middle blocker is her jam.

“I just love the fast tempo and always moving,” she said.

Last season, the Bulldogs had a rough start, going winless in their first six games, but they got better with every match and were 5-5 the rest of the way. They even did something no other team at the 4A state tournament last season could do, they took a set off the state champion Lakeland Hawks.

In the 4A Region 1 title match in Rathdrum, Sandpoint was able to capture a 25-19 win in the third set. That would be the last time Lakeland would drop a set as they cruised to three straight-set victories at state.

That should give the four returners from last year’s squad — Brown, Pelkey, Breuner and junior Hailey Roeder — a boost of confidence when they see the Hawks this fall.

The race for the sole state berth also appears to be wide open with Lakeland losing 2020-21 Gatorade Idaho high school volleyball player of the year Katy Ryan, who is now playing at Washington State University, and Moscow losing all-league player Izzy Burns.

Although, Alsager believes it will be tough to match the confidence and experience the Hawks gained during their state title run. That’s the one thing her team lacks right now is experience, Alsager said.

Similar to last year, Alsager expects the Bulldogs look completely different in about five weeks when they have a handful of matches under their belt. She said by then she’ll have a better indication of what kind of challenge her team can present Moscow and Lakeland in the pursuit for the regional title.

During the offseason, teams in the area saw the return of a club volleyball season in the spring and into the summer. It wasn’t completely normal due to COVID-19 restrictions, but it was much better than 2020 and provided an opportunity for players and teams to see plenty of progression.

Unfortunately, Alsager said the players on the SHS varsity team this fall were split between three different club teams in the area, so the squad didn’t get as much offseason time together as she would have liked.

Despite that, the three senior starters have already seen the Bulldogs showcase lots of chemistry.

“I was a little nervous to see how the team was going to work together, but from the first practice I knew that we were going to be fine because everyone was connecting,” Pelkey said.

The biggest question mark for the Bulldogs this season is how they will replace the offensive production of Hicks. The outside hitter, who is now at Southern Methodist University, asserted her presence in every match, and amassed 209 kills and 27 aces.

The Bulldogs relied heavily on Hicks’ firepower all of last season, but this year they believe they have several players who can step up and contribute to their offensive attack.

“We have to have multiple people that can score and not have our best hitter stuck in the back row,” Alsager said. “It’s just going to be a different flavor this year.”

Besides the three sophomores, Breuner sees Roeder making an impact at outside hitter.

“She’s improved so much this year,” she said, “and she’s got such a powerful arm. She is so hungry for the Ws.”

Last season, Breuner saw some time at setter due to some injuries, but this fall she is stepping into the position full-time. It was really her first time playing the position since she was about 12. After putting in a lot of time in the offseason, Breuner is hoping to be a difference maker at setter.

“It had been a long time so it was kind of rough last year, but I’m definitely a lot more confident this year,” she said.

Breuner brings a competitive energy and flare to the court that is hard to miss. She’s vocal every match and her teammates certainly notice and appreciate how much she cares.

“I always feel like whenever we get a point, I can always just feel Lauren’s energy and passion,” Pelkey said.

“She’s very invested in the team,” Brown added.

That fire Breuner possesses is something relatively new, she said. Last year, her older sister Marina Breuner — a former setter for the SHS volleyball team, inspired her to be more of a leader and positive influence for her teammates. Breuner gave her older sister all the credit for the passion she now displays.

Brown is stepping into the starting libero spot after learning from Kinzie Ward and Sam Koster the past few seasons.

“Emma Brown is going to be glue for us,” Alsager said. “She is going to be a fantastic libero.”

Alsager expects Breuner and Brown to be the two players that dig down deep and bring out that Bulldog spirit and intensity every match. She also said she has a talented bench that will push her starters all season.

The three seniors can’t wait for the first serve of the fall season. They are all eager to chase a state berth, but with the start of the season still over a week away the trio is trying to bundle up that excitement and use it to help the Bulldogs get even stronger.

Brown said it’s going to be difficult to say goodbye to this program.

“I love all the girls,” she said. “I feel like this team made me love the sport more.”

Sandpoint will open the season with the Judy Fong Tournament at Lewiston High on Saturday, Aug. 28, before hosting Post Falls on Sept. 3 at Les Rogers Court.