Aiden Blanc is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Arizona Lutheran for AZPreps365.com

The keys to winning in high school sports can be the same in every sport. Talent, hard work, and team comradery are some of the first that come to mind. When you watch Arizona Lutheran take the court, those keys are abundant. A stacked group of upperclassmen and a drive to outwork the competition have the Coyotes right on pace to contend for their first state title in a decade.

ALA won their first, and only, state championship in 2014, defeating a Glendale Prep team that entered the match with just one loss. They won two matches in tournament play before bowing out to Thatcher the year after. Since that year the Coyotes have failed to make it out of the first round, with a few play-in victories as their only wins in state play.

As with most high school sports, the team 10 years ago has few connections to the one today, but roster makeup is certainly one that stands out. Both teams return nine players from one season prior, and lean heavily on senior experience.

When I visited with the team after a sweep of Santa Cruz Valley, a main focus postgame was the need to stay focused. “Their leadership is going to go a long way this year,” said Brad Bode of his six seniors, “They’re the ones who remind our team to stay at a certain level.” That level would be put to the test over their next stretch, not only with three key matches in the next week, but also with homecoming events around the school. Each of the upperclassmen were heavily involved in the school events, in addition to volleyball and their regular academic assignments. “The girls on this team are the most involved in our student body” said Bode, “The biggest challenge is to play at a high level and at the same time have their high school.”

The school has also seen impressive attendance at matches from students, with the game against Santa Cruz featuring a construction theme, and students dressed in their favorite hard hats and neon vests. “They definitely help us keep our energy up,” said senior Karin Aguilar, who added that the team loves to play off the energy of their fellow classmates. “I love our team spirit,” remarked senior Emma Ohm, “we come together as a team and pick each other up.”

That energy has come through on the scoreboard, with a 24-12 record putting the Coyotes second in 2A Valley play and fourth in 2A overall. They had won six of their last seven before a five-set loss at Chandler on Wednesday night, and have won four of their last five in regional play.

On the stat sheet, the impact of those upperclassmen is crystal clear. Senior Abbie Palm leads the team in kills per set, serving aces, aces per set and kills, with other upperclassmen within the top three. Even in Wednesday night’s loss, team highs in kills, blocks, aces, digs and assists all went to a junior or a senior, indicative of where the team looks when they battle the state’s best.

The 2014 championship squad won six matches straight for a momentum boost going into the playoffs, 2024’s team has a chance to do something similar with four matches left and all but one at home. ALA has been itching for another crack at a deep run ever since they hung that banner ten years ago, it’s clear they have the experience and mindset to get back to the glory days.