COULEE CITY — Last season, the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors (15-3) achieved their goals of reaching the state tournament and competing at the highest level. This season they look to build on that.  

“We have a ton of talent this year,” Head Coach Katie Walsh said. “(We’re) coming in with the mindset that we have the toughest district in the state, and we have to show up and compete every day and practice at our highest levels if we want to get to our goals – and that's definitely the state tournament and placing.”  

The Warriors made a deep run to the semifinals of the 1B state volleyball tournament before falling to Garfield-Palouse 3-0.  

The Warriors roster five seniors once again this season. Walsh highlighted Dani Isaak, Grace Okamoto and Josie Bayless as three standout players that will fulfill key roles for ACH this season.  

Isaak was a captain for ACH last season, Walsh said. She anticipates the returning senior to grow more as a leader as she brings a calm presence to the court and helps instill Walsh’s vision for the upcoming season. Okamoto will return as the team’s libero, who was praised for her defensive prowess.  

“I would put her defense against anyone in the state at any level,” the coach said. “She's been on varsity for four years, and she's hungry and ready to go.” 

Bayless will serve as the teams outside hitter but also has the skillset to play in the middle of the lineup, too.  

“We're going to definitely look to her for her offensive prowess this year,” said Walsh. 

It’s common to find multisport athletes throughout the Warriors athletics program, Walsh said. The Warriors have benefited from this since they spend a lot of time with their teammates, which leads to stronger team chemistry.  

“They have a great thing going as far as their friendships and just the way they click outside of volleyball, throughout other sports as well,” Walsh said.  

As they enter the new season, Walsh and the Warriors are tasked with finding who fits where in the lineup, like a puzzle. Entering last season, they only had one senior to replace, which made it clear what the roles were. However, this year will call for some internal competition as they have five spots to fill.  

During the offseason, several Warriors spent time together preparing for the upcoming season by attending a few camps including one at Big Bend Community College hosted by Lindsey Linthicum and the Vikings.  

“The camp was great because it was the first part of August, which we can't coach in,” Walsh said. “We just got to sit back and observe, which was really great to be that close to the season where we could scheme a little bit, and we really liked what we saw. Girls were dedicated, competitive, but still had that light air about them that I think is really important.” 

The competition this season will be stiff as they’ll come across other talented teams like Lind-Ritzville, Wilbur-Creston and Waterville-Mansfield. 

“Our league and district are the most challenging in the state,” Walsh said. “Our district tournament feels to us like a mini state tournament, and our league schedule is very tough. We're not looking to put easy non-league games in there. That competition demands you to perform at your highest level, and so we want that whenever we can get it.” 

Once the pieces of their lineup are in place, the Warriors will need to find consistency throughout the season in order to stack wins, Walsh said.  

“Consistency all the way around is what we're looking to build this year,” the coach said. “I'm looking forward to this season. We have some great young talent coming up. It's a blessing for sure, but it's also a challenge to fit those puzzle pieces together and try to find the best combination for the team, and so I think the competition that our team itself brings to each and every practice against each other to develop the best team we can will be fun to see.”  

The Warriors opened the season on Sept. 3 with a volleyball jamboree. Their first regular season game is on the road against Mary Walker at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 8. 

    Dani Isaak serves the ball over the net during the Warriors practice.
  

    Katie Walsh, the Warriors head coach watches her players warmup during practice.
  

    The Warriors’ Josie Emerson signals for her next serve during practice.
  

    Addie Wright (left) and Sadie Whitaker (right) work through a team drill at the ACH Warriors practice.