Lincoln Southeast volleyball players Alyssa Lake and Haley Lake are not sisters. As far as they know, they’re not related at all.

But on the court, they’re like close family — Alyssa as the setter and Haley as a go-to hitter at middle blocker. And that bond goes beyond the volleyball court, as they were also starters on Southeast’s state championship basketball team in March — Alyssa as a guard and Haley as a post player.

“People mistake us as sisters and we have fun with it,” Alyssa said. “Sometimes we go along with it for a while, then tell them the truth.”

Even though they first met two years ago when Haley was a freshman, it sometimes looks like they’ve played volleyball together their entire lives. Haley, a 5-foot-11 junior, blasted a team-high 282 kills a year ago, mostly off assists from Alyssa, a 5-6 senior who averaged almost five assists per set as a junior, her first full year at the position.

With another year of experience to bank on, the duo wants to expand the offensive repertoire with quicker sets in the middle and more slide plays to take advantage of Haley’s long arms and powerful swing.

“Haley’s easy to work with because she talks and tells you where she wants the ball,” Alyssa said. “She‘s very good at adjusting to the set and doing something with it. With her jumping ability and long arms, she gets to it even if the set is a little high.”

Haley was slowed by recurring back problems her freshman and sophomore seasons. Those problems seem to be behind her, as she said she had a pain-free summer. Southeast coach Lindsay Coleman says Haley’s physical improvement is noticeable.

“She’s worked hard on her vertical (jump) and agility, and you can see the difference,” Coleman said. “Haley’s stepped it up since last year.”

Coleman calls Alyssa Lake one of the most coachable players she’s ever worked with. Her speed in track and basketball is also a valuable asset in volleyball. She combines that foot work with the strength to set from almost anywhere on the court.

“She’s made amazing progress as a setter,” Coleman said of Alyssa, who worked some with Coleman’s younger sister, Brittany, this summer. Brittany Coleman was an all-state setter at Beatrice who later started for Creighton and Wayne State.

“She’s athletic, eager to learn and a good leader on the floor.”

Haley Lake will be just one of a number of options her setter will have this season as Southeast returns its entire varsity squad from last year’s 19-15 team. Senior outside hitter Paige Hubl is one of the top back-row players in the state, but also had 209 kills a year ago. The outside hitter opposite Hubl, senior Casey Sorensen, had 124 kills in 2007.

Six-foot senior Emily Goans, Southeast’s tallest starter, contributed 171 kills and 41 ace blocks last season. Haley Lake led the team in ace blocks with 59. Senior Alicia Steggs recorded  107 kills from the right side.

“Our goal is to beat all the teams we should, knock off some we’re not supposed to and make it to (the) state (tournament),” Haley Lake said. “It was a huge disappointment when we found out how close we were to a wild card (to the state tournament) last year. We have the experience and confidence to get there this year.”

Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.