A new season and a new era of Western Hills volleyball began Monday night, with a young Lady Cougars squad getting its first test against South Hills.
Coming off a 4-17 season and 2-8 district record, Western Hills entered the 2026 season under new head coach Rheagan Whitefield. Her task goes beyond turning around the win-loss column. Whitefield wants to develop stronger athletes while building confident young women committed to excellence on and off the court.
That process started with a roster that returned just three seniors and featured mostly juniors, including some making their varsity debuts.
South Hills, which finished last season 13-28 overall and 6-6 in district, quickly showed its experience. The Lady Scorpions took the first two sets 25-11 and 25-12 before closing out the sweep with a 25-9 third set.
The 3-0 loss leaves plenty for Western Hills to work on, but Whitefield came away encouraged by positives she believes the Lady Cougars can build on as the season progresses.
Western Hills won’t have to wait long for another opportunity. The Lady Cougars return to their home court Friday at 6 p.m. against Polytechnic, looking for their first win of the Whitefield era.
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