Coach says Lady Loggers volleyball team standing tall, working hard

The Libby Lady Loggers volleyball team has “some unfinished business to take care of,” reports coach Cindy Ostrem-Johnston.

“I am excited about the possibilities for this team and building on what we started last season,” she said via email. “The girls are working hard at practices and the team chemistry is strong.”

Ostrem-Johnston wrote she has “two awesome seniors” returning.

“All-State 6-foot-2-inch MH Brooklyn Rainer is one of them,” she wrote. “We plan to utilize her talents on the OH/RSH this season. Emily Mossburg is (the other), a 6-foot senior that played RSH for us last year, but will be in the middle this season so we can capitalize on her exceptional blocking skills and quickness.”

Ostrem-Johnston said she expects all her players — who she characterized as “well balanced with experience, height, athleticism, competitiveness and sound fundamentals” — to share team leadership responsibilities.

“I chose my two seniors and two of the juniors as captains because of their desire to lead, their experience, their unique personalities and special qualities they bring to the team,” she explained. “Junior Jayden Winslow is a 5-foot-10-inch OH who earned First Team All Conference honors and was voted MVP by her teammates. Junior Alli Collins is a 5-foot-5-inch setter ‘quarterback’ of the team who was acknowledged by her teammates as being most inspiring.”

Rounding out the lineup, “second team All Conference 5-foot-2-inch junior Libero Emma Gruber and 5-foot-3-inch junior DS Linsey Walker return to battle in the backrow,” Ostrem-Johnston wrote. Junior Jessika Jones, standing 5-foot-8-inch and who “covered well for Emily Mossburg when she was out for five weeks with a broken thumb” last year, “will be playing RSH/OH this season.” Sophomores McKenzie Proffitt (5-foot-11-inches) and Sheyla Gallagher (5-foot-7-inches) will fill in for two-time All-State Mehki Sykes, who injured her left thumb while playing tennis in the spring, until she gets her 10 days of practice in.

“Our backups will include juniors Samantha Miller and Marissa Wood and sophomore Kylee Quinn,” Ostrem-Johnston said, adding that “all positions are subject to change throughout the season.”

Libby High School returns this year to Class A play for the first time in two years, making it difficult for Ostrem-Johnston to comment on opponents in particular and the conference in general.

“We will have a better idea after we compete in the Northwest vs. Southwest Tourney in Frenchtown on August 25 and 26,” she wrote.