2023 Fall High School Sports Preview: Pullman looks to build off fourth place state finish last year

The seniors on the Pullman volleyball team have worked hard to keep their spot atop the Greater Spokane League 2A standings, winning the league title every year they’ve been a part of the program.

But for the Greyhounds and fifth-year coach Megan McNannay, the goal is to replicate that success at the state level.

Pullman finished last year unbeaten in league play before claiming fourth in the State 2A tournament in Yakima. McNannay said that trophy finish has only motivated the girls to reach higher this season.

“We’ve been the team to beat in 2A for the past few years, but I think now more than ever teams will be gunning for us because of that state placing,” McNannay said. “Our motto this year is ‘one game at a time’ and not looking past anyone.”

One game at a time was key to the Greyhounds’ success in the Yakima SunDome last November. After opening with a five-set victory over White River, Pullman pulled the shocker of the tournament by downing top-seeded Lynden in another five-set thriller.

“We had gone to five with both Ferris and Colfax earlier in the season and won, so we thought that if we could get those state matches to five, we would be OK,” McNannay said. “Lynden was a different challenge though and we actually lost the first set 25-6, so I got into the huddle after that one and had some words telling the girls to represent the Pullman High School that we knew we could be.”

The Greyhounds’ storybook run came to an end with a semifinal loss to Ridgefield before dropping the third-place match to Burlington-Edison. Still, McNannay said the team took away more positives than negatives from a trip that yielded the program’s highest finish at state since its championship run in 2010.

“I called us ‘the little team that could’ last year because we weren’t tall and it showed that we can win with sheer will,” she said.

Pullman enters this season without the services of standout outside hitter Margot Keane, who graduated last year. But the cupboard is hardly bare for the Greyhounds to make another deep postseason run.

First-team all-league selections Lily McNannay (libero) and Sophie Armstrong (outside hitter) return for their senior seasons, while second-team setter Gabby Oliver is also back.

“On top of the trio of senior leaders, we have three talented players in the sophomore class and a trio of juniors that really balance out the team,” Megan McNannay said. “So, in total we will have nine letter-winners return which is great experience.”

That experience will come in handy early for the Greyhounds as McNannay has built a tough schedule this season. On top of facing GSL 2A foes Shadle Park and Clarkston twice, Pullman will also play GSL 3A teams Ferris and University in nonleague play. The Greyhounds will also head across the mountains to join a tough field at a tournament hosted by Burlington-Edison.

“The West Valley coach was on the seeding committee for State, and he let me know that something they said was, ‘We don’t know who Pullman is,’ ” McNannay said. “So, we want to go over there and show them who we are.”