Bullpup Volleyball Season Preview: All-State Duo Returns to Lead State Title Push

The McPherson volleyball program enters 2025 with high expectations, returning two all-state players from last year's fourth-place finish at the Class 4A state tournament. Head coach Christy Doile, beginning her 20th season at the helm with a 573-222 career record, believes this could be a special year for the Bullpups.

"We return two starters that have played every varsity point since their freshmen year, helping our program to second and fourth place finishes at the 4A state tournament," Coach Doile said. "We have an experienced team with talent and depth in the program."

Leading the charge are senior outside hitters Brooke Doile and Ava Romero, who have anchored the Bullpups attack for three seasons. Doile, the coach's daughter, earned second-team all-state honors last year after recording 372 kills, 270 digs, and 32 aces while being named to the all-state tournament team. Romero matched her teammate's production with 299 kills and 302 digs, earning honorable mention all-state recognition.

Both players were instrumental in McPherson's dramatic turnaround last season. After a slow start, the Bullpups switched to a 5-1 offense midseason and never looked back, finishing 26-18 overall and defeating Wellington and Andale in sub-state to qualify for state.

Junior setter Rylie Whitfield returns to orchestrate the offense after dishing out 708 assists last season, while junior Carmin Pavlovich provides additional firepower at middle hitter. Senior Adelyn Barrow brings experience at defensive specialist, and several newcomers including seniors Karsen Burris and Kynslie Minns could contribute immediately.

"We are a multi-sport, athletic team that will hustle and play hard," Doile noted. "Our chemistry is genuine - these kids have grown up playing with each other not only in volleyball, but in other sports."

The Bullpups face an unexpected challenge this season as flooding damage to the Roundhouse has forced the team to practice and play at alternate venues. Despite losing home-court advantage for several early-season tournaments, the team remains focused on their goals.

"We want and need to continue to run our faster offense while making terminal connections," Doile explained. "We will focus on improving our serve ace to error ratio, blocking numbers, and hitting efficiency percentage."

McPherson opens AVCTL Division 3 play looking to improve on last year's second-place finish behind Buhler. With experienced leadership, proven all-state talent, and a coach closing in on 600 career wins, the Bullpups appear poised for another deep postseason run. If they can overcome the early-season facility challenges and maintain their chemistry, McPherson could find themselves back in the state tournament mix come October.

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