The Ilwaco girls varsity volleyball team huddles at the conclusion of their first practice.

ILWACO — The Ilwaco girls varsity volleyball team has a “good problem” heading into the season under first-year head coach Lanie Kary.

“We have 28 on the roster,” said Kary after concluding the first team practice on Monday, Aug. 21.

“We’ll have a couple pretty solid squads. We have to do a jersey inventory count and see if we have enough, but it’s a good problem to have.”

The team, nearly triple the roster of last season, is largely comprised of underclassmen with only three seniors: Isabell McKinney, Clara Richardson and Alycia Figueroa.

“We have a lot of sophomores and freshmen, just a few upperclassmen. We have a lot of young talent,” Kary said.

Stiff competition

Kary will be assisted this season by coach Kristina Salas. Salas was also encouraged by what she observed after the first practice.

“It went really well, the girls were really receptive and willing to try all the things thrown at them,” Salas said.

“We’ve been playing a 5-1 rotation in the past, with one setter. The type of rotation we play is going to depend on how many setters we have ready.”

The competition for outside hitter and libero has been stiff early on.

“Everyone wants to be an outside hitter,” Kary said, with Salas adding that six have said they want to try out for the libero position.

“Those are the popular positions, but we’ll see who has the ball control and form,” Salas said.

Season outlook

Ilwaco will compete in the 2B Pacific League, along with Chief Leschi, Forks, North Beach, Northwest Christian, Ocosta and Raymond/South Bend. The Lady Fishermen went 3-11 last season, finishing sixth in the league, which was won by Raymond (19-6), who went a perfect 13-0 in league play.

“Usually Raymond is the top dog in the league, and I heard they’re combining with South Bend. They will be a pretty big target for us — and Forks is always super competitive,” Kary said.

As a first-year head coach, Kary is excited to see how the players progress individually and come together as a team.

“I’m excited to see who is going to step up and lead the team,” she said. “We’ve got three seniors, but there’s quite a bit of talent in the younger classes. Who is going to lead us and keep the team in a positive state? Attitude is one the most important things out there.”

The volleyball team will start their season Sept. 7 at home against Onalaska.

Ilwaco volleyball

Sept. 7 Onalaska (h)

Sept. 9 Adna Tourney (a)

Sept. 12 South Bend (a)

Sept. 14 Raymond (a)

Sept. 18 Willapa Valley (h)

Sept. 19 Forks (h)

Sept. 21 Taholah (h)

Sept. 25 Tenino (a)

Sept. 28 Ocosta (h)

Oct. 3 North Beach (h)

Oct. 5 South Bend (h)

Oct. 10 Raymond (h)

Oct. 12 Forks (a)

Oct. 14 Adna Tourney (a)

Oct. 19 Ocosta (a)

Oct. 23 Chief Leschi (h)

Oct. 25 North Beach (h)