Regina senior Sarah Lehman By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Entering her senior season Sarah Lehman has already had a career’s worth of athletic success.

Lehman was a starter on the Regina girls basketball team that made back-to-back state tournament trips and earned all-state honors in softball each of the past two seasons while leading the Regals to the state title game.

Through all the awards and championships, it was her first state tournament trip that has stood out to Lehman.

As a freshman in 2013 Lehman helped Regina reach the state volleyball tournament for the first time since 2003.

That trip to the state tournament ended quickly with an opening round sweep at the hands of eventual 2A champion Dike-New Hartford.

However, that season hooked Lehman on volleyball.

“Since my freshman year volleyball has always been special,” Lehman said. “That year I got to be a part of my first state tournament and it kind of made me love the sport. I looked up to the seniors that year, they are really what taught me a lot.”

Lehman has done a lot since the fall of her freshman year when she logged 135 kills in the Regals 19-12 state tournament season.

She was a double digit scorer on the Regal’s state semifinal basketball team a year ago that completed the first unbeaten regular season in program history.

Lehman has established herself as one of the top pitchers in Iowa on the softball diamond.

Over the past season seasons Lehman has won 32 games and struck out 498 batters while posting a 1.17 ERA and helping Regina to a Class 2A state title and state runner.

Still, when fall rolls around Lehman can’t wait for volleyball.

“I like the atmosphere and the people that I’ve played with have made me love the game,” Lehman said. “It’s such a team sport and you depend on each other to do well and they pick you up and stuff.”

The 5-foot-9 Lehman has had plenty of success on the volleyball court as well.

She has led Regina (15-10) in kills each of the past two seasons and has a team-high 209 kills entering Tuesday’s River Valley Conference South Division match with West Liberty.

Lehman collected her 1,000 career kill Sept. 24 at the Mid-Prairie tournament.

“I was always gunning for that, I wanted 1,000 kills,” Lehman said. “A lot of hard work and just practicing every day and my team has helped a lot. They have been a big part of it.”

Lehman has been thinking about her future athletic career after Regina but hasn’t made any decisions.

Before she decides where she would like to attend college she will likely need to decide which sport to pursue, a decision she hasn’t had any success with so far.

“I’ve thought about it I just don’t know yet,” Lehman said. “I’d play any sport, I like them all so I’m wide open on that.”

Before thinking too much about the future Lehman wants to focus on the present, namely a second trip to the state volleyball tournament.

Regina opens postseason play on Oct. 18, hosting Lisbon in a Class 2A, Region 7 opening round match.

With a win Regina would face RVC rival West Branch in the quarterfinals on Oct. 24.

“I feel like we can get back to state we just have to put everything together,” Lehman said. “We are playing good at certain times but we have to put everything together.”