October is here and so spooky season can come into play.  Teams can come up BIG or pressure can also shake things up for a team at this time.  Confidence and resilience will hold a team together to push past any fear.  The teams that don't limit their challenges and don't shy away from competition are really shining right now as their records should reflect their work.

Madison remains strong as they won their annual Battle of the Best Tournament this past weekend.  The Bobcats went undefeated in all sets and kept their record clean.

Also in east Idaho, Hillcrest and Shelley faced off this week, with the Russets emerging victorious.  Both teams entered the match with identical 18-4 records, and both squads have fierce experience and many highly skilled players.  Both teams have come so far in the past three to four years, and they have really bought into the new coaches of their program, and they are all playing together exceptionally well.

For Shelley, Jaida Cook leads the way in kills per set and hitting percentage, while Josslyn Ivie leads in blocks.  Other senior leaders for the Russets are Mallory Higham, who leads the way in assists and aces, and Ashtyn Davis, who leads in overall digs and digs per set.

These senior leaders are really taking charge and leading with experience.  Most importantly, they take care of the ball above all else.  They are smart and powerful, which is hard to overcome on the court when balls can be recycled and slammed so quickly.  The mistakes from this group are minimal and they wrok hard.

If you look at the other top teams in Idaho right now, you'll find Skyview, Madison, Rigby, Ambrose, Rocky Mountain, Coeur d'Alene, Shelley, Hillcrest, Owyhee and Bear Lake among the top ten in MaxPreps ranking.  So we had a top ten matchup between Shelley and Hillcrest already this week, and Rocky Mountain, Coeur d'Alene and Ambrose will all play at the Rocky Mountain Invitational this weekend.

It's so exciting to see these impactful matchups before districts and state, as many of the top teams typically won't face their toughest opponents until later this month.  Be on the lookout for all of these teams as they have all proved thus far to be consistent and determined.  Their records reflect their work ethic and mindset.

Keep going girls!  You're representing Idaho so well!