By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
After coming home with another second-place finish last season, the Bishop LeBlond volleyball team is opening up this season with new competition.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association moved the Golden Eagles from Class 2 to Class 3, meaning tougher competition against bigger schools.
Coach Kim Huss says the team is excited for new competition, saying it keeps you fresh and moving forward
"Sometimes when you play the same people over and over and over, you kind of lose that perspective of how you need to improve because things become to simple," Huss says on the KFEQmunnity show. "And so, when you are faced with new challenges it forces your team to grow, it forces them to sharpen their skillset and understand different types of competition and levels of competition."
Huss says it's important though to remind her team that success isn't just making it to the final four however
"There's many ways our student athletes can be successful every day, and we're focusing on this season in a week-by-week fashion," Huss explains. "Kind of attacking our opponents and attacking the preparation weekly to know what we have ahead of us in that short time frame."
Bishop LeBlond has made it to three final fours in the last four years, with two second place finishes and one third place.
As the new season begins, the Golden Eagles are hopeful to make it back to the final four, with excitement that it is being held in their own backyard at Civic Arena.
"Brett Esely and his team at St. Joseph Sports Commission have done a lot of work for a lot of years, I don't know if people really realize how long this goes back," Huss says.
Huss says there is excitement for her and among her team after every final four she's been to being held in Cape Girardeau
"And while Cape Girardeau is a wonderful little city, it is really far away from St. Joseph, and there's no fast way to get there," Huss says. "So, we're excited that it can be a little closer to home."
LeBlond opened their season over the weekend in the Inaugural Pony Express Girls High School Volleyball State Tournament Preview hosted by the St. Joseph Sports Commision, going 3-1 and winning their pool.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.