Pay attention, class; it’s volleyball time in Lone Tree

LONE TREE

The moment was infectious. Really.

A Lone Tree Lion knocked the ball over the net for a point last Thursday night in a volleyball match against Columbus.

And they celebrated. Loudly. Enthusiastically.

Even if you weren’t a Lone Tree Lion, you cheered.

Harper Kuboushek, a junior, jumped up and down happily as the Lions gathered in a huddle on the court. Teammates slapped each other’s hands. Others on the Lions bench jumped up. Crazy.

Students in Lone Tree’s bleachers behind the bench stood and roared their approval.

Tie game.

Wow.

Kyle Holderness, the team’s head coach, well, he’s their only coach, stood up from his seat.

This was a big deal for a team that almost didn’t have a team.

A really big deal.

The Lions wound up losing that set dramatically, 27-25, and lost the match by three games to one as its losing streak was extended to 38 matches by Columbus.

But that wasn’t really the point for a season that began not long ago in an arts class at Lone Tree High School.

Yes, arts class.

The Lions didn’t have a coach.

So, they approached Holderness, a former football player and assistant football coach at Clear Creek Amana who is now an arts teacher for all grades at Lone Tree Community Schools.

Volleyball?

He didn’t have a clue.

“I know you have to hit the ball over the net and stop the other team from doing that,” Holderness said.

Olivia Magruder, a senior who has been in Holderness’ art class at Lone Tree High School, was among the Lions players who went to Holderness with one thing in mind: talk their art teacher into becoming their coach. Please.

“I knew he had his (coaching) license,” Magruder said.

There was never a hesitation.

And now the Lions, who never won a match last year and haven’t done so since October 2024, are having a blast on the court. They won their opening set against Columbus in their home opener last week and won a set against rival Highland at the beginning of the season.

That in itself was progress. The Lions won just one set all season in 2025, and that one win of one set came on the opening night of the year. They never won even a set after that. And many weren’t even close. There was a 21-2 loss to Jesup, 21-4 to West Burlington, 25-2 to Montezuma on the last night of the season.

Sixty-three straight sets. All losses. Only one other team in Iowa, Kee, lost more than the 28 matches that the Lions lost.

And that’s what Holderness inherited.

The interest in Lone Tree volleyball took off. Full varsity and JV teams. Six seniors, including Magruder, who is the team’s leading hitter and server. Two 5-foot-11 attackers, including Kuboushek. A freshman libero, Maggie Burke, who is one of the top freshmen in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference North with 58 digs in just 6 matches.

Art students, all.

And in the middle of it all is this rookie head coach learning a game.

“He does a good job listening to us,” Magruder said.

More than you realize. It isn’t unusual for something to happen in a match, and a call is made by an official, and the coach says something like this to a player: “What was that?”

They are learning together.

Holderness has taught art to all of the 18 or so students who are on the volleyball team, either in high school or elementary school, or both. He is the only art teacher in the Lone Tree Schools district.

Coaching is not new. He was an assistant football coach at Clear Creek and just kept re-certifying his state license to coach. A good thing.

As Columbus’ players gathered in front of their fans after their match at Lone Tree and celebrated with a school cheer, Lone Tree’s volleyballers collected their personal items from the bench area and retreated to their locker room, just as they had done 37 previous consecutive times dating back to 2024.

But this is different.

And they know it.

The streak will end.

“We did good,” Holderness said. “There’s a lot of talent in here.

“This year, we’re winning sets, keeping in games.”

The Lions will crank it up again this week in the SEISC Tournament, and home matches in October against Hillcrest Academy and Highland.

Somewhere in there, happy news is just busting to break out.

News columnist Paul Bowker can be reached at bowkerpaul1@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter/X: @bowkerpaul