No matter what class the Missouri State High School Activities Association assigns to the St. Pius X volleyball team, the Lancers keep winning.
Last year Pius went 24-6, making it all the way to the state championship game (Class 4), where they lost in three sets to another private-school power, Incarnate Word Academy of St. Louis. It added to a trophy case already packed with state hardware, including championships in 2011, 2016 and 2017 (all in Class 2), six other second-place trophies and one for third-place (Class 3 in 2014). In all the Lancers have made the final four 11 times and never finished lower than third.
St. Pius stayed in Class 4, while Incarnate Word Academy was bumped up to Class 5.
Head coach Shannon Leftridge guided the Lancers to that most recent state crown in 2017. With seven returning starters from last year’s team, she said she’s confident her squad can compete with any school, regardless of size. St. Pius beat Eureka (Class 5) in four sets on Tuesday. It’s the third year in a row the Lancers have played the Wildcats, one of the top large schools in St. Louis.
Leftridge believes, as many high-level coaches do, that a tough schedule makes for a tough team.
“That’s the mindset that our team has,” she said. “Our girls believe that and that’s where we’ve come.”
The sport is notorious for momentum changes that can lead to upsets. The best teams learn to manage them with sustained focus and composure. Of the Lancers’ 24 victories last year, 21 were in three sets or less.
“Volleyball can change on a dime,” Leftridge said. “One moment you dominate, the next (you) look like (you’ve) never played together before.”
St. Pius annually produces NCAA Division I college talent. This year is no exception as three Lancers already have made commitments. The coach’s daughter, senior outside hitter Hannah Leftridge, plans to attend North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The Wolfpack is coached by Luke Slabe, who was a coach for the U.S. Olympic women’s team that won the gold medal in Tokyo in 2021. Hannah rang up a team-high 399 kills (4.5 per game) last season, the sixth-highest average in the St. Louis area.
“We’re extremely excited,” Shannon said about her family. “We spend more time together than the average high school girl and her mother, so it’s going to be an adjustment.
“It’s been a great experience watching her grow. The time’s gone really fast. It doesn’t seem like it should be ending. Pius volleyball is such a big part of the (school) experience here.
“It’s going to be a little bit sad for me, but a lot of laughs for her. She has goals this year, (as to) what she wants to accomplish, and she will rise to meet those.”
Putting away the disappointment of last year’s loss in the championship match, they have one more shot at winning state as mother and daughter.
“That’s a huge dream for us,” the coach said. “Last year was a heartbreaker for all of us. Volleyball is such a huge part of the girls’ lives and they absolutely love it.”
St. Pius also returns the tallest player on the team, 6-4 junior middle hitter Bennett Raterman, who fired 289 kills a year ago and led the team in blocks with 83. Raterman has committed to Florida State University in Tallahassee.
“She (can) run shots and slides and will be a force to be reckoned with,” Leftridge said. “She puts down a thunderous ball and it’s hard to put a ball past her. We’ve never had anyone her size.”
Leftridge isn’t the only coach with a daughter on the team. Assistant Therese Ruble is junior Elena Ruble’s mother. Elena returns at setter to run the 5-1 offense. Over the past school year she was a three-sport state medalist, helping the basketball team make the Class 3 state final four and finishing fifth in the javelin in Class 2 track and field. Ruble served up a staggering 931 assists last fall.
“She’s one of the fastest setters I’ve seen,” Leftridge said. “She has the ability to run down any ball and is able to reverse the flow of the game by sending the ball back. She has a good chemistry with all our hitters.”
Senior Anne Makowski, a Murray State University recruit who logged 218 kills a year ago, will be vital to the Pius offense as she brings height and power to both pins. Sophomore Kate Sherry (122 kills) enters her second year on the varsity and Leftridge said she will be one of the go-to attackers.
“Anne is so powerful. The girls are committed to these schools for a reason. I feel like she can put a hole in the floor sometimes.
“We have five hitting options. That’s hard for a school our size. We have five viable hitting options and defenders who can fill the role of the seniors. We keep our (varsity) numbers low at Pius, so as long as we don’t have injuries, we’re good. We have a quality team this year.”
Leading the defense are senior Mady Bohnert and new libero Harper Gass, a junior. Leftridge said she won’t deploy a libero unless she has a player capable of doing the job required. Gass has that ability and is a natural athlete.
“She has a great touch on the ball and is adapting to the speed of a high-level offense. She’s a super-quick learner and team player.”
Leftridge said Eureka originally had been scheduled for later in the season, but the Lancers needed to adjust their schedule after being voted out of the Jefferson County Activities Association. All athletic programs at St. Pius are competing as independents. The Lancers won the last two JCAA volleyball titles.
“We had to do a lot of juggling in our schedule,” she said. “(The opener) was open and (Eureka) took it. It kind of happened by chance. The girls know each other. (Wildcat head coach Jodie Fowler) is a great, competitive coach. They’re coming down here for the first time and we’re all excited.”