THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Leftover bumps, sets, spikes from state volleyball

Gonzaga loved Hanah Stoddard as a setter.

The Bulldogs also liked that the Lake City High senior volleyball standout could hit, and do other things.

That was one of the reasons the 6-foot Stoddard verbally committed to the Zags in July.

She plans to sign her letter of intent on Nov. 10, the first day fall sports athletes can sign.

"There was a couple other schools (interested), but ultimately it felt like my home for college," Stoddard said. "The minute I got on campus it was a good environment, and the coaches made me feel like family, as well as the players. I couldn’t have asked for a better staff and players."

At Gonzaga, "I'll be setting," Stoddard said. "I’m assuming I’ll be hitting a little bit, but mostly setting."

IF ANYBODY watched Stoddard play this year for the Timberwolves, they would be crazy to not at least entertain the notion of her getting a few swings in, in addition to setting.

Would she like to hit?

"Yeah, definitely," Stoddard said. "We talked about it a little bit. They just like the fact I can be used for different things, but the ultimate goal is to set. A lot of other schools were looking at me as a hitter, and I wasn’t ready to give up setting."

Several other schools were interested in Stoddard, and Idaho also offered her a scholarship.

Originally, Lake City coach Michelle Kleinberg planned to have Stoddard as one of her two setters, hitting when she was in the front row. But with the offensive firepower she provided as a hitter, and the fact senior Nellie Reese and junior Ella Hosfeld were quite capable setters, Stoddard was used solely as a hitter.

And the T-Wolves made it to state, where they finished tied for fifth, one win away from bringing home a trophy.

"My team needed me to hit this year," Stoddard said. "It was good. Obviously it’s tough to give up something that you’re working toward for college, but I was just doing whatever my team needed me to do.

"I’ve been hitting since freshman and sophomore year, but I’d never really played middle back on defense, so that was definitely new this year. But I thought the transition was good, and our two setters handled it well … amazing."

Kleinberg, in her second season as Lake City's head coach, was similarly impressed with her Division I product.

"She’s been a team player," Kleinberg said of Stoddard. "She gave up what she does best, and did whatever it takes to get our team to state."

POST FALLS, which finished fourth at state in its first trip since 2017 and collected its first trophy since 2012, will lose eight seniors, many of which played on last year's team that likely would have made it to state had not a few players been derailed by COVID-19 quarantine during regionals and the state play-in match.

But the Trojans will return two key underclassmen — sophomore setter/right side hitter Kylie Munday, a two-year starter and the team's leader in kills, and freshman outside hitter Trinity Byrne, who in particular shined at state.

And the Post Falls JV team won the league's regional tournament.

"I’m so proud of our underclassmen for stepping up when times get tough, and I know that’s just going to carry on the next few years," said Trojan senior defensive specialist Brooke Minden, a three-year varsity player. "Trinity did amazing at stepping up, and I can’t be more proud of her as a freshman, and putting the ball away."

Over the past four decades, Post Falls hasn't exactly been regulars at state; since 1984, the Trojans have qualified just eight times. Under coach Willow Hanna, in her second year of her second stint as coach at her alma mater, the Trojans have made it to state five of those times, four of them during her first, nine-year stint as head coach.

"Our underclassmen now have experience playing with and against the best in the state," she said. "We will be able to build on this as we move forward in our program as we set goals and expectations for the future."

State volleyball will return to North Idaho in two years. Next year it's headed to eastern Idaho, in the Idaho Falls area.

Until then ...

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @CdAPressSports.