VOLLEYBALL: Graduation can't slow West Valley spikers

Courtesy of the Yakima Herald Republic

YAKIMA — Among her themes at the start of West Valley’s volleyball season, coach Katie Hinckley had one that stood out. “There is no reason,” she made clear to her varsity players, “that we can’t do better than last year.”

We’re with you, coach.

Winning 31 of 33 matches and finishing third at the Class 3A state tournament leaves room for improvement, especially for what was a young team.

Except for the two lingering concerns on everyone’s mind: Rachel Hanses and Debora Aguilar weren’t there anymore. No matter how much veteran experience walked back into West Valley’s gym in August, losing a power-hitting league MVP and ace libero isn’t erased with a simple lineup shuffle.

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