sEvery school has a sports team, but not many are ranked number one in Class A. After a long season full of hard work, Papillion-La Vista has been moved up in the rankings. After the devastating loss to Marian High School in the first round of the state competition last year, the team knew that they would need to work even harder to be number one.  

To be this highly ranked took a lot of hard work from the team.

“We worked hard during the summer and set goals to accomplish as a team,” Karli Ahlers, the sophomore middle hitter, said. 

Being ranked number one in the state comes with a lot of mixed emotions. 

“I was excited as a team to be held up to that standard and the pressure to keep that ranking,” Karli Ahlers said. 

Receiving a title this big comes with a lot of pressure to exceed expectations. 

“We have to win all of our big games and stay and play together as a team”, Sammie Ziebarth, the senior defensive specialist, said. 

With team camps and overall improvements, the volleyball program is headed in the right direction. 

“The new coaching staff and team camps kept us motivated for the upcoming season and showed us what we could accomplish as a team,” Ahlers said. 

This team has already improved from last year, moving up in the rankings from fifth to first.

“I think our coaching staff and the new conditioning we had over the summer has helped us a lot to be at this point, but I think we just want to be a force to be reckoned with this year,” Ziebarth said. 

Earning this title was a big honor for the team. 

“We earned this title with all the hard work we put in during the summer and just by how much talent we have on this team and how much love of the sport and sportsmanship we have,” Ahlers said. 

Earning this title has been such an accomplishment for the school and the girls on the team. It proves to other schools that they are a force to be reckoned with. The confidence that they have gained has led the team’s season record to be 9-0 as they continue their undefeated streak.