Finding their way back: Post Falls, Lake City overcome key losses from last year, back in state tournament mix

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

Post Falls lost eight seniors from last year’s team, which won its second league title in two years, and brought home a trophy with its fourth-place finish from state.

But this year, the Trojans won their second straight 5A Region 1 title — beating Lake City, which had just won the Inland Empire League championship.

Part of that is due to a winning tradition instilled at Post Falls by Willow Hanna, in her third season in her second stint as coach at her alma mater.

“We have four returners, and eight kids that are new to varsity,” said Hanna, who is taking the Trojans to state for the sixth time in her 12 seasons as Post Falls coach. “I think that when you compete at a high level, and continue that expectation of your players, they’ll rise to that occasion, and these kids have.”

LAKE CITY, meanwhile, lost a pair of Division I players from last year in Hanah Stoddard (Gonzaga) and Nellie Reese (Montana State).

Then in January, Montana commit Olivia Liermann, a left-handed right side hitter, suffered a knee injury in club ball. She then underwent a second procedure in May, and the Timberwolves were hopeful she might be back for the postseason. But Liermann was unable to play this year — aside from a cameo on senior night.

“She was going to be our go-to power hitter; every other team seems to have one,” third-year Lake City coach Michelle Kleinberg said.

This year, using final regular season rankings from MaxPreps, Lake City is seeded second, Post Falls third at state.

Last year, the two teams met in the first round. This year, when state begins Friday at Skyline High in Idaho Falls, they could meet in the second round.

Lake City (20-4) plays No. 7 seed Owyhee of Meridian at 8 a.m. PDT. Post Falls (24-6) faces No. 6 Timberline of Boise at 10 a.m.

IN FACT, of the four returning Post Falls players, only three finished last year, and just two saw quite a bit of action — junior setter/right side hitter Kylie Munday, who has verbally committed to the University of San Diego, and outside hitter Trinity Byrne, who shined at state as a freshman.

Junior outside hitter Jenna Sarff has played a bigger role this year.

And senior right side hitter Shauna Cozza missed most of last season after suffering a concussion — during warmups before an early season match, Cozza was hit by a ball hit by Munday.

“It’s so much fun (to be back and contributing); I love being on the court,” Cozza said.

This year, several of the newcomers are contributing, including senior setter Carleen Codd, junior middle blockers Sam Andersson and Maleah Wilhelm, junior Maddie Brazee and sophomores Lexi Norisada and Vanessa Kison.

“They all have great energy and are super talented, even though they are young,” Cozza said. “They have done a great job stepping up to the plate. Even though they have never played varsity before, they’ve just done a great job.”

“I really think it’s taken all 13 of us, this whole entire season, working hard in practice, working to see what each individual can bring to the team to help us perform better,” Hanna said. “And, of course, Kylie is just a special player. This is her third year on varsity, and she’s just really plays at a very high level.”

“I think our coaches did a very good job at the beginning of the season, making us close, teammates off the court as well as on,” Munday said. “We did a lot of team bonding, and mental stuff, to make us click as teammates, because we weren’t used to playing with each other. … I think they’ve done a very good job of stepping up, and bringing energy always.”

THE LOSS of Liermann meant others had to step up at Lake City, which finished tied for fifth at state last year — one win short of a trophy.

As it turned out, two of them happened to be seniors Ella Hosfeld and Aubrey Stennett, who are also the team’s setters. They set in a 6-2 offense, and are hitters when not setting.

And they are often Lake City’s kill leaders in a given match.

“They were by far our most consistent hitters,” Kleinberg said.

Hosfeld has committed to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., which is making the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.

Senior outside hitter Payton Peugh and senior middle Emberlyn Reynolds have helped form a balanced attack for Lake City.

When Kleinberg submitted the team’s heights for the state tournament program, she noted the T-Wolves have just one player (the lefty hitting Reynolds) over 6 feet tall.

“We have to do it just by committee,” Kleinberg said. “Early on it became clear it’s everyone’s job to score — it can’t be just one person to do it.”

STATEWIDE, the top seed in 5A is Madison of Rexburg, last year’s runnerup. The Bobcats beat Post Falls in the second round last year.

Skyview of Nampa, which won the last two state 5A titles, dropped to 4A this year.

Eagle, which eliminated Lake City and then Post Falls at last year’s tourney before finishing third, is seeded fifth this year.

Thunder Ridge of Idaho Falls, the 2019 champ, is seeded fourth.