Sisters are Broncos teammates again! But first, the Wild West

Hastings College sisters Haylee (left) and Alexa Sandman were smiling teammates during their Wauneta-Palisade volleyball careers — for the most part.

Courtesy Photo

HASTINGS, Neb. — Reunited and it feels so good....

To smash a sizzling kill past her diving face!

Or stopping big sister from blasting another big point to the court!

It’s going to be wild, feisty and fun because these Sandmans will never forget what they learned at Wauneta-Palisade.

“It’s competition that I think got us to where we are today,” Haylee Sandman said she enters season two with the Hastings College Broncos volleyball team. “All of us. Alexa, the Coxes (Cox sisters Cali and Peyton), we were going at it every day in practice.”

“But I think now, we respect each other’s abilities more,” she added.

That’s good news since Alexa Sandman is also going full speed into Hastings College volleyball after signing with these Broncos last spring.

Alexa loves libero, the defensive specialist position where she made more than 1,000 digs during W-P playing days.

Though she also served 19 consecutive points during a district playoff win, the 5’6” Alexa admits defense really fuels her volleyball motor.

“Definitely. I do love going for the good save,” she proclaimed.

That’s a perfect complement to high-flying power-horse Haylee, who was among Wauneta-Palisade’s all-time best volleyball killers.

She took those talents to Hastings College last fal where the young Broncos started 9-0 in 2021.

They finished just 14-14 overall and 5-11 in a tough Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) — but Haylee believes these Broncos are ready to climb.

“We’ve got a lot of young up-and-comers this fall,” the 5’9” hitter confirmed. “I definitely see us improving.”

Alexa would love to be part of the 2022 rotation as a true freshman.

“We’ll see. It’s too early to tell,” the wise older sister observed. “It’s nice to have Alexa around and get her advice on things.”

Wow, that sounds like high praise considering these two were sometimes part of “brawls broken up” during high school practices.

Yet both have learned to appreciate each other’s skills, and both agree all-star events like Sunday’s Wild West Classic help get players ready for new teams.

Alexa’s been participating almost every week since graduation whether it meant traveling to Scottsbluff (West Nebraska All-Stars), Cambridge (CSO All-Stars) Minden (RPAC vs. Fort Kearney Conference volleyball stars) or McCook (Wild West).

“It’s been kind of hectic, but it’s been a lot of fun. The Wild West will be a whole new experience playing with some girls that I’ve played a lot against,” she said. “And it’s very competitive.”

Older sister agrees since she followed the same All-Star tour last summer.

Haylee delivered seven kills, six digs, two ace serves and two solo blocks in last year’s Wild West Classic.

She moved on to Hastings and soon encountered another rival: Medicine Valley alum Acelyn Klein.

There’d been more than a few intense, even painful collisions between Wauneta-Palisade and Med Valley during those four prep years.

Becoming new teammates helped build on what All-Star team relationships begin.

“Acelyn and I became best of friends,” Haylee revealed. “She’s now at (University of Nebraska at) Kearney to focus more on her school goals, but we still talk and chat all the time.”

“That’s what I remember most about All-Star events (like the Wild West),” she added. “They build great relationships that will last.”

As a West team member, Alexa will be playing against most of the other Gazette-area All-Stars at Sunday’s Wild West.

The match has a 5 p.m. start time in McCook Community College’s Graff Events Center.

Maywood-Hayes Center’s Stevie Handsaker, Cambridge’s Autumn Deterding, Med Valley’s Kaylynn Roblee, Hitchcock County’s Aimee Merrill and Lindsey Rippen along with McCook’s Makynna Cunnigham are all on the East team.

So Sunday will be more about representing Wauneta-Palisade one more time — relationships again that are never forgotten.

It’s been a tough 2022 so far considering W-P former coach/teacher Roger Lauhead and more recent Bronco leader Rod Gaston have died. Gaston passed away on June 5 after working as activities director, principal, teacher and coach at W-P.

“I’m still stunned because he was at graduation,” Alexa said.

The sisters have seen this sadness only show even more community strength.

“Without a doubt. It (Wauneta-Palisade) has done so much for us,” Haylee said. “And who knows? We may all be back there again.”