ROYAL CITY – The Royal Knights (9-10) may have fallen just short of a 1A state tournament bid, but for first-year head coach Lisa Lawrence, it was about establishing a new culture.  

“We tried to get the culture (and) the program back on track and provide opportunities for the players to develop both their physical and mental sides of the game. I think we came a long way in meeting those goals,” Lisa said.

She also serves as the Knights’ softball head coach in the Spring. When the Knights' athletic program needed a new volleyball coach, Lisa saw a chance to continue working with young athletes.

“I love coaching,” she said. “I love working with young athletes, and I had the chance to coach my own daughter (Ava Lawrence) during her senior season, which was very meaningful for me. I was fortunate to have the opportunity.” 

Lisa said her coaching staff was helpful in smoothing the transition into her tenure as head coach. She said their background in the sport allowed everyone to contribute to their growth this season.

“I was really lucky to have three younger coaches that joined the program who really had a lot of in-depth knowledge on both the history of Royal volleyball as well as the sport. Everybody had a chance to contribute, which was a great help for me,” Lisa said.

Royal navigated several ups and downs throughout the season. They managed to win four of their last six games to secure the eighth seed in the 1A district tournament. In the first round, they fell 3-0 to Chelan and were moved into the consolation bracket, where they would have a chance to win their way into the state tournament.

It was a promising start as they defeated Connell in a competitive 3-2 result on the road. However, in the next game against Zillah, they were defeated 3-0 and eliminated from the district tournament, and fell just short of a state tournament appearance.

Despite this shortfall, Lisa said her team showed what they were capable of all season, and that’s all she could ask of them.

“I felt like this season was exactly what we had hoped, as far as just continuing to improve, and our performance late in the season definitely showed that things were clicking and the girls were playing well... I think it was a season everybody felt good about and was proud to be a part of,” she said.

Lisa said that as they reached the latter half of the season, she began to see her team excel at things they did not as much at the start. The team started responding to adversity and not getting shaken when they found themselves in a deficit.

They also improved their serving this season compared to last. Lisa said they were serving the ball over the net at a 90% rate.

“We were really blessed with height this year, so our front row hitters really had a chance to have a good impact on scoring, and that really helped the team,” she said.

As a team, they began to click more. Part of this is attributed to their communication on the court. Lisa said she felt they were one of the more vocal teams in the league this season, which is something that was encouraged all season.

“A lot of it just came naturally. We just had some personalities that were good leaders. As far as having a voice and communicating, and whether they were on the court or on the bench, it really made a big difference in our performance,” she said.

Lisa said not one player stood out among the rest this season. Everyone did their part and contributed to building a new culture. She said they were all great at encouraging one another and maintaining an optimistic mindset, which made a big difference in her view.

As they look forward to the offseason, the Knights will lose six seniors. Including Ava, Chloe Christensen, Madyn Smith, Evelyn Acencio-Beltran, Maddie Allred and Avarie Hill will all graduate in the spring. Lisa said they will have a lot of shoes to fill next season, but house a strong junior class that will be ready for the challenge next fall.

Graycie Kast, Heaven Parker, Darany Pineda, Michelle Woodward and Paige Christensen will be the Knights' seniors next fall and take on leadership roles for incoming members of varsity. Lisa said she is confident the Knights will more likely reload than rebuild next season.

“We try to encourage the youth program. As the program moves forward year after year, you've always got people filling the void. We've got a lot of girls in the high school program who should be able to step in and fill some of those spots,” Lisa said.   

    The Knights’ Madyn Smith prepares to receive Cashmeres serve in their game earlier this season. Head Coach Lisa Lawrence said her team were one of the more vocal teams this season, which made a difference.
  

    The Knights bench cheers for their team after scoring a point against the Wahluke Warriors earlier this season. Head Coach Lisa Lawrence said their defense was strong at the net.

    The Knights’ Evelyn Acencio-Beltran (4), Ava Lawrence (6) and Madyn Smith (3) celebrate after scoring a point against the Wahluke Warriors. Head Coach Lisa Lawrence said her team played with a lot of heart.