A New Chapter for Laramie High School Volleyball [VIDEO]

Two-time defending 4A state champion Laramie opens a new volleyball season this weekend in Cheyenne.

The 2022 season will feature a young (only two seniors) and inexperienced squad for the Lady Plainsmen. Only two starters and five letter winners return for third-year head coach Jill Stucky.

She knows they’re young but says they’re talented.

“I feel like the age will show a little bit in our younger girls that are going to make an impact on our program, but they’ve been playing quite a bit in the offseason, and we have a lot of great size in those young kids. I’m really looking forward to training them.”

Stucky added they have a passion for development, and that whatever they work on in practice, the team is completely bought into what I’m saying.

The good news for Laramie is they return two all-state players in senior Libero Taylor Tyser and junior setter Maddy Stucky. KOWB’s David Settle caught up with the duo to provide their perspective on the 2022 LHS volleyball team. They realize they are in different roles, and how it’s a new team, but they’re excited about what this group can accomplish. They feel more teams will come at them after the two-year run they’ve been on. Plus, some fun items around the volleyball season.

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Coach Stucky calls those two her brain on the court, and she’s happy to have them back.

“We have quite a bit of brawn (as well). We’ve just got to put it all together and make it all work for us. I feel by the end of the season that we are going to have a really nice chance to do something special.”

LHS enters this season after 56 wins and only two losses over the last two seasons. With six seniors gone, including two-time Gatorade and Class 4A Player of the Year Alexis Stucky, the Lady Plainsmen are not considered the favorites in Class 4A. That role falls on Kelly Walsh, who Laramie has beat for the last two state titles.

Stucky understands that this year will be more about the pressure they put on themselves.

“I feel like we have no pressure going into this. We’re young, we’re all new to the program, and I think that we’re going to surprise some people, just because we don’t have to have the stress and that monkey on our back the whole season like we’ve had the past two years.”

She feels there are a lot of good returning players around the state, which should make for a very competitive season.

Laramie begins at the Cheyenne Invitational. They will play Rock Springs and Kelly Walsh at Cheyenne East High School on Friday. Their opponents on Saturday will be Natrona County, Thunder Basin, and Rawlins with matches at Cheyenne South High School.