Mercer Island volleyball | Sports preview

The Islanders won both the KingCo and SeaKing titles last fall. The team finished seventh overall at the 3A state tournament.

Coach: Susan McKay

Number of athletes: 43, 14 on varsity

Last season: The Islanders won both the KingCo and SeaKing titles last fall. The team finished seventh overall at the 3A state tournament.

Strengths: “This year’s team is one of the deepest that the volleyball program has ever had in terms of overall talent,” said returning coach Susan McKay. “We will have a strong offensive team led by some powerful hitters, including Sara Lindquist, Jemma Yeadon and Brooke Behrbaum.”

Focus: “The biggest focus at the beginning of the season will be developing team chemistry since most of the team is new to varsity this year,” said the coach. She added that they plan to work on connecting hitters with setters and working on communication between players.

Seniors: “We have nine seniors who are all excellent leaders, and captains will be determined (this week),” said McKay.

Game to watch: “Mount Si will again be our biggest rival this season, and we expect it to be another intense competition with them for the KingCo title,” said the coach. Newport and Skyline also made the list.

The Islanders will first face Mount Si in the Wildcats’ home gym on Monday, Sept. 30.