The Warriors are gearing up for another volleyball season. This season they will be led by senior and Creighton University commit Ashlyn Paymal. Over her high school career, Paymal has been a crucial part of the team. The right side hitter led her team to the state tournament last year where they were defeated in the semi-finals by Papillion LaVista. Losing that game was hard for the team, but they are determined to come back better than ever this season.
“The biggest goal this team has is competing,” Paymal said. “Also working hard everyday. Along with that, getting the chance to compete in state and have the opportunity to bring home the first volleyball state championship.”
This season is a new opportunity to bring back old talent as well as introduce new players. Head coach Andrew Wehrli, believes that all of this will bring them closer to finally bringing home a state championship.
“Our biggest goal this year is to win a state championship,” Wehrli said. “We have great talent, exceptional role players, and quality leadership. Ultimately our goal is to control that equation by showing up and working hard. And being intentional every day.”
As for Paymal specifically, she sees this season as a final chance to prepare for her division one career. The jump from high school to collegiate sports is a big one and it requires lots of preparation. She thinks her team will help give her an edge and push her to the place she needs to be at for her first season as a bluejay.
“I’m super excited to watch the improvement that we’re going to bring this season,” Paymal said. “Getting to improve every single day and bringing hard work to practice and watching it all come together on the court when we’re competing in tournaments and games.”
The commitment to Creighton itself was a very important decision to Paymal. At the end of the day, the athletic aspect was not the only thing that helped her form her decision.
“Obviously the school itself and the education is a big part of it. The coaches themselves are just really good people. I’m excited to get there and improve and be a part of a team that wants to win with a good culture.”
The place Paymal is at right now did not come out of nowhere, it has been a long time in the making. Volleyball has been part of her life for as long as she can remember and her most important goal every year was, and still is, to develop and improve as a player.
“I’ve been playing volleyball ever since I could remember,” Paymal said. “I’ve gotten the opportunity to play on many different teams and get coached by many coaches. I transferred to Westside going into my junior year, and I couldn’t have been happier with my decision because it opened up so many opportunities I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.”
As a junior, Paymal was new on the scene. With 349 kills in her first season, she wants to continue her success and improve along with her team.
“Obviously I want to keep improving from that,” Paymal said. “I have definitely a lot of people behind me that will help me a lot throughout the season and I just want to get every opportunity I can to get out there on the court and show myself.”
As for her specific role on the team, Coach Wehrli believes that Paymal be vital.
“She has been one of our most dependable point scorers on the team last year,” Wehrli said. “She will have a similar role on the team this year with the added responsibility of leadership. She does a great job showing up every day working hard and pushing others.”
Looking forward toward the first game and onward, Paymal says there are a few things the team needs to do this season to help with their success.
“We need to compete every single game,” Paymal said. “Putting in the work every single game. I heard our coach say stay healthy and I think that is a big one as well. Working outside of practice and games to keep themselves healthy. We really just want to stay consistent with our play and not let outside factors affect our performance.”
