KC Athletes sat down with Blue Valley West Head Volleyball Coach Jessica Horstick to discuss the Jags 2020 6A State Championship. In 2019, the Jags missed the state tournament for the first time during Coach Horstick’s tenure. Horstick went into the 2020 season with high hopes for her squad. Horstick said, “At the beginning of the season, I knew that we had the talent to win a state championship….” Horstick knows what it takes to win state championships, having won state titles both as a prep star (Lee’s Summit West) and as the coach of the 2015 Jags.
Without the typical off-season camps and leagues, due to the pandemic. Horstick also found the early part of the season unpredictable as her athletic program and school district managed the pandemic. Horstick felt like the pandemic made her focus on each player individually and not so focused on winning. Instead, Horstick focused on the players’ needs. Horstick wanted the players to feel like they were improving in something they cared about, even if it wasn’t volleyball. “I focused more on each individual kid, and I hope that I will continue to do that even in a normal year,” said Horstick.
The Jags received a boost from setter Alyssa Miller’s return, who won the 2020 6A Player of the Year award after sitting out the 2019 season. The Jags also received a boost from several players that transferred into the program. Horstick believes that this infusion of new talent allowed the team to realize how special they could be.
“At the end of the year, I think we won 14 matches in a row. So, we kind of just peaked at the right time, and we were starting to hit our stride at the right time,” said Horstick.
Along with Miller, Morgan Colangelo, Taylor Stockman, and Brooke Leiker received All-State Honors, and Horstick won the award for 6A Coach of the Year.