Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CORALVILLE – In a Liberty High lineup loaded with all-staters it is easy to overlook Lilah VanScoyoc.

Correction.

It was easy to overlook VanScoyoc.

A breakthrough senior season has made VanScoyoc impossible to ignore and helped make an already dangerous Liberty High attack even more effective.

VanScoyoc has posted career-highs in kills, digs and ace serves while emerging as a steady compliment to senior all-staters Shelby Kimm and Cassidy Hartman for top-ranked Liberty High.

“In the past I was maybe set less but I’ve just tried to capitalize on all the opportunities that I do get,” VanScoyoc said. “I think I’ve done that this season and that opens up things for Cassidy and Shelby and everywhere else.”

VanScoyoc ranked fifth on the team as a sophomore with 71 kills as Liberty High reached the 5A state title game.

Liberty High will play for the 5A championship for the second time in three seasons on Thursday and the emergence of VanScoyoc is a big reason why.

“I think Lilah early on really accepted her role while still chasing more,” Liberty High head coach Allie Kelly said. “She knew where she stood but she just kept chipping away until she could be that go-to player.”

VanScoyoc ranked fourth on the team with 137 kills a year ago and spent the offseason working on taking on an even bigger role as a senior.

“She works really hard in the offseason,” Kelly said. “She works hard in club ball but then she is the kid throw weights in the weight room, she is always there when we have offseason stuff.”

This fall VanScoyoc hasn’t just taken on a larger role, she has embraced it, thriving as she has become more involved in the Liberty High attack.

The 5-foot-11 VanScoyoc ranks third on the team in kills behind Hartman and Kimm with a career-high 213 kills on .296 hitting.

“I think this year I just settled into the role of a senior and trusted my teammates,” VanScoyoc said. “After that it’s just going all out.”

In addition to her offensive production VanScoyoc has a 33 blocks and career-highs with 109 digs and 23 ace serves as her time on the court has increased.

VanScoyoc has 21 kills, two blocks and an ace serve in a pair of state tournament wins over Urbandale and Ankeny Centennial.

She had 11 kills in the quarterfinal win over Urbandale and added 10 in a win over sixth-ranked Ankeny Centennial on Wednesday.

“I think a really good right side is undervalued,” Kelly said. “I think especially with her and Cassidy in the front row it makes their middle think, it makes their defense be set so just to keep their defense honest it’s really huge for us and for our girls to have one more person to turn to.”

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