Bend High assistant volleyball coach Steve Schlick, center, talks to the team during practice at Bend High School Wednesday morning.

It is a post-Chloe LeLuge world for the Bend High volleyball team beginning this fall. The past two seasons, the two-time Class 5A Player of the Year was a “get-out-of-jail-free card” who could make magic when the ball was in the air.

With their previous star now playing at Cal Poly, the three-time defending league champions (one Mountain Valley Conference and two Intermountain Conference) and two-time state runners-up are back to work to keep their winning ways rolling.

“We are going to have to diversify things, but those girls learned so much from the seniors last year,” said Bend volleyball coach Kristin Cooper. “They are so hungry to be back, they are hungry to be back in the gym. I’m excited to see what they are going to produce.”

“We are going to have to learn to be less reliant on one person,” said senior Lucy Schuller, an IMC first-team hitter last season. “We need to have strong, consistent play at every position.”

The Lava Bears made deep postseason runs in each of the past three seasons. In 2021 they advanced to the 6A state semifinals and the past two seasons they reached the 5A state championship match — falling both years to Crescent Valley.

The Lava Bears believe they can be right back in the mix again this fall.

“I feel like our senior class is super hardworking and driven to be the same as we were last year,” said senior Brooke Braude, the IMC’s first-team libero last season. “I know we lost Chloe, who was a big asset to our team, but I think with hard work and perseverance we can lead the group to the same success as before.”

This year’s squad will have to play differently than previous years, according to Cooper. The offense must be more spread out, and much more precise with its passing and ball control. Defensively, Bend must be relentless.

“We have to be the most scrappy team in the IMC and in the state to be able to put balls back up,” Braude said. “They are going to keep hitting and we are going to have to keep receiving.”

With all the success, Bend was still a rather young team a season ago. Of the four seniors on last year’s team, only LeLuge and Lacy Clothier saw action in the state championship match. The Lava Bears return four starters and multiple rotation players that made the run in the state tournament last season.

“They know what it takes to get where they were,” Cooper said. “I think they can push the girls. They are hungry to be in the tournament and be on the state floor.”

The Lava Bears begin their season at the Summit Jamboree on Aug. 29, then will host Roseburg on Sept. 7 for their first match of the year.

“It is going to be about their heart and how much they want it,” Cooper said. “They have lofty goals, but good goals. They are reachable but they just have to buy in. And I think they can achieve them.”