ELHS Volleyball Team Looks to Continue Strong Start to the Season

One of the great sources of both challenges and rewards in high school coaching is the roster turnover that comes each year.

East Lansing High School (ELHS) varsity volleyball head coach Heather Stanley is keenly aware of both as she heads into her ninth year at the helm. A 2006 graduate of ELHS and a four-year player at the University of North Carolina, Stanley is optimistic for her 2024 team.

While she laments the loss to graduation of Corinne Neal who spent four years as the team’s setter (the sport’s toughest position), Stanley is excited for the new players coming in, including sophomores Sydney Hutson and Stella DiMaggio.

Speaking of Hutson, Stanley said “I don’t think she knows the talent she has.” Stanley also had high praise for DiMaggio who “brings a ton of dedication and finesse to the court that you don’t usually see from sophomores.”

These sentiments about the two sophomores were echoed by several teammates. Senior Meika Wildeboer noted that Hutson showed up in a big way, and that her swings are a lot better than last year when she was on the junior varsity team.

Much of how the season goes will depend on the play of junior center Ariyanna Johnson. 

“Ari is an insane hitter,” teammate Stella Alfredson said. 

Johnson has aspirations to play volleyball at the collegiate level and knows that this is a big year for her in the recruiting process. Johnson, however, wants to talk about her team. 

“We are playing as a team and are able to rely on each other in the good parts and the bad parts of the game,” she said. 

Johnson praised the team’s efforts in pushing each other to improve on every play in games and in practice.

That team camaraderie is important to many of the Trojan volleyball players. 

“I feel like we really clicked very fast,” senior Ava Smith said. “We all get along and laugh together on and off the court.” 

Fellow senior Ali Garza agrees that the team chemistry and the bond they share come from how well they communicate with each other. 

“In the end,” she said, “even if we don’t win districts, I’ll still be very happy because of the team I have.”

Coach Stanley wants to focus on player growth over wins and losses. She believes her team will be very competitive in the conference this year, with Holt probably providing the greatest competition. 

“Their coach has done a great job building a consistent program,” she said.

ELHS has started the season at 4-2, which has pleased Stanley. More wins for ELHS will come if the growth she expects from each player comes to fruition.