By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Colby Greene braced herself for the changes she knew were inevitably coming in her senior season.  

A new coaching staff, a new setter and a new lineup filled early entirely with new teammates.

Greene entered her final prep season prepared for everything to be different.

Something strange happened for Greene and her teammates during the first few weeks of the season.

The sweeping changes Greene expected have felt more like minor tweaks.  

“I don’t really think things have changed a whole lot,” Greene said. “I think we were expecting a change and we came in and said ‘it’s still volleyball’ we just have to play.”

West High will certainly look different this season.

Scott Sanders takes over the head coach duties for Randy Dolson after spending eight seasons as an assistant at West High.

The graduation of a talented group of nine seniors leaves Greene and fellow senior Keimoney Lang as the only two returning players with varsity experience.

Even with all the new faces the program has maintained a level of familiarity.  

“We know Scott, we know he’s a good coach and we know what he is capable of,” Lang said. “So, the transition has gone really well.”

Greene hasn’t felt the changes this season but she knows they are there.

The 6-foot-2 senior middle also knows she has a brand-new role as a senior leader after playing a complimentary role on West High state tournament teams each of the past two seasons.

“I know my role has changed a little and I think people know that I am here to bring intensity,” Greene said. “We want to go back to state so they are bringing that intensity too.”

Greene and Lang will be the centerpieces of a new-look West High outfit faced with replacing a quartet of Division 1 players.

A two-year starter Greene is the top returning hitter for West High after ranking second on the team with 218 kills a year ago.

Greene also ranked second on the team with 57 blocks last fall after posting 15 kills and 49 blocks as a sophomore.

“She took a big step last year and she has taken a couple of more steps in the offseason,” Sanders said. “She has a lot more range and she is a lot more of a leader.”

A Southeast Missouri State commit, Greene spent the offseason working on her footwork and shot variation.

She also prepped to take over an expanded leadership role.

“She is such a great leader and she is the one kid that has a lot of front row time for us so we are leaning on her a lot,” Sanders said. “The kids look up to her and that is really nice to have this year.”

While Greene has become a leader in the front row Lang has done the same in the back row.

The 5-foot-5 libero has two seasons of varsity experience under her belt after collecting a combined 210 digs the past two seasons.

Lang is expected to have an expanded role on and off the court this season.  

“We have talked with Colby and Keimoney about being leaders and how it’s their show now after graduating all those seniors,” Sanders said. “Some kids lead with how they do things and some kids are vocal about it and these two lead with how they do it and they are vocal about it so it’s really nice to have.”

The faces on the bench and the court have changed but one thing that has not changed is the expectations.

West High is seeking a fourth straight state tournament streak after falling in the 5A quarterfinals each of the past three seasons.

“It’s expected but we know we have to work for it,” Lang said. “We are still here every day working hard giving it 100 percent to try to get there.”