ROCK SPRINGS — The Rock Springs Lady Tigers enter the 2026 volleyball season with something they did not have a year ago: a full season of experience under head coach Casey Rood.

Rood took over the program last season and immediately began laying the foundation for her vision, emphasizing fundamentals, volleyball IQ and building relationships with a group she was still getting to know.

Now, with all of her starters and key substitutes from last season returning, the Lady Tigers can begin building on that foundation.

“This year we are really looking to build on and fine tune a lot of the fundamental work we had to do last year,” Rood said. “It was my first year with this group of girls so we really had a lot to learn about each other and how to work best as a unit.”

That familiarity should allow Rock Springs to spend less time establishing its foundation and more time pushing the team forward.

“This year we won’t have to focus so much on building that chemistry between the coaching staff and the players, so we really get to dig into that trust we’ve built and push the girls even more,” Rood said.

The Lady Tigers finished 12-21 overall last season and went 1-5 in conference play, placing third in the 4A Northwest behind Green River and Kelly Walsh. Both teams went on to meet in the Class 4A state championship match, with Green River finishing as the state runner-up.

Rock Springs’ season came to an end at the regional tournament. The Lady Tigers fell to Star Valley in the opening round before staying alive with a sweep of Jackson. Their season ended with a three-set loss to Evanston.

Despite the record, Rood said she saw plenty of progress from a team that bought into a new system.

“I’m proud of a lot of things from my first season,” Rood said. “We improved our win loss record and won more games at the conference tournament. I’m also really proud of the girls for buying into our vision and trusting the process (which isn’t always easy to do).”

More importantly, Rood believes the relationships developed during her first season helped establish the culture she wants moving forward.

“And truly I think the love and respect we’ve built in the program is what I’m most proud of,” she said.

Rock Springs also gained valuable experience from its younger players. Raegan Cordova and Kati Moore started as underclassmen last season, while Hannah Millemon also saw varsity action.

That experience came with its challenges, but Rood said those difficult moments ultimately helped prepare the young players for larger roles.

“I had conversations with my freshmen about how some teams might view their inexperience as a weakness and try to target them whether it’s in serve receive or on defense,” Rood said. “But we expect that, and if/when it happens we as a coaching staff trust our players, and we were going to grind through those tough moments.”

Rood believes those experiences could pay dividends this season as the young players continue to develop.

“I think those moments were huge in preparing those younger girls to be key players for us, that can hopefully take on an even bigger load this season,” she said.

The Lady Tigers will also have the benefit of a senior-heavy roster, with every starter and key contributor from last season returning.

Kati Moore will be one of the team’s emotional leaders, while seniors Bella Aaron, Kaycie Muniz and Adalyne Schweitzer bring additional varsity experience.

“Kati Moore is such a passionate player and she really sparks everyone around her, so I’ll look to her to be an emotional leader on the court,” Rood said.

The returning experience also gives Rood an opportunity to expand the team’s offensive and defensive capabilities.

Her first season centered heavily on fundamentals and developing the team’s understanding of the game. This year, she wants to continue that work while adding more elements to the Lady Tigers’ attack.

“This year we are going to continue to focus on fundamentals and the why’s of the game, but now we get to experiment with things like a faster offense,” Rood said. “We also can focus more on our blocking, which honestly got put on the back burner last season.”

Before the first match, Rood’s focus will be on getting the team into a rhythm and strengthening the connections between setters and hitters.

“Going all out to get into a rhythm together before we get tested against an opponent,” she said. “I would also really like to see our setter/hitter connections get stronger by our first games.”

The Lady Tigers will have plenty of opportunities to test that progress throughout the season, including their annual rivalry matchup with Green River.

“I look forward to every matchup, and I’m just as nervous for each opponent and I am any other one,” Rood said.

She also has a personal connection to Riverton’s program. Rood previously coached in Green River alongside Jordan Christensen, who is now Riverton’s head coach.

“A friend and fellow coach, Jordan Christensen, is now the head coach for Riverton and she’s got another great friend of mine as one of her assistants,” Rood said. “So, I’m looking forward to some friendly competition against them!”

Green River, meanwhile, remains one of the marquee matchups on Rock Springs’ schedule.

“Green River is always a high emotion game to look forward to, and I really respect Coach Dewey and what she’s doing for their program,” Rood said.

After spending her first season establishing the foundation, Rood enters Year 2 with a roster that knows her system, understands her expectations and has another year of varsity experience behind it.

For the Lady Tigers, the next step is turning that familiarity into progress on the court.