Hillcrest overcame some early season adversity to clinch the first banner in program history

AMMON — Hillcrest’s first-ever state volleyball championship season did not start off the way a championship season usually does.

They were winning, but three weeks into the season, some off-the-court issues were inhibiting the Knights’ potential.

Head coach Dallas Gines and her coaching staff went about nipping the problem in the bud in a unique way. The coaches met with each player in one-on-one interviews to discuss the issues and determine corrective courses.

“I felt like, the truth was, that was a huge turning point in our season. The reason is, I felt like the girls felt like they were listened to,” Gines told EastIdahoSports.com. “If that doesn’t happen, I don’t know that we win a state championship.

Hillcrest went 20-4 the rest of the way, including an undefeated run through the 5A state tournament field, to claim the program’s first ever state championship. In four tourney matches, the Knights lost just three sets, sweeping Lakeland for the title.

When the dust settled on the season, just one Hillcrest player received All-State honors. But Gines wasn’t especially surprised by what some would have taken as a slight.

Hillcrest wasn’t a team that relied on one, two or even three players. They went eight or nine players deep on a nightly basis. That may have robbed individuals of some accolades, but it made the Knights tough to defend.

“I think the biggest thing, honestly, is that we had eight or nine kids show up every single day, every night,” Gines said, noting that teams could not focus their gameplan on any single player. “Ultimately, that’s what won us the state title.”

Playing in that way required team-wide buy-in. Players needed to commit themselves to every practice, and every game, without concern for playing time.

And not only did that make Gines’ team tough to beat, it set them up for future success. Younger players got serious reps at practice, going against seniors who were giving maximum effort to earn their rotations.

“I actually am really excited for the future of Hillcrest volleyball,” Gines said. “They’re a great group of kids, but we also have our freshmen who went undefeated.”

Before she shifts her focus to the 2026 team, though, Gines’ admiration and appreciation for the 2025 team will continue through the season, and the graduation of her seven seniors. Fighting back tears, the second-year coach spoke about the players battling through serious adversity, personal and family trauma, and making the gym their happy place.

“There were so many of these kids fighting battles off the court that people didn’t know,” she said. “So for what they accomplished and what they did — they don’t even realize … man, I couldn’t be prouder.”