New Lyle-Pacelli head volleyball coach Lauren Cost knows what it’s like to play the game at a very high level, and now she’s hoping to teach that to the Athletics.

Cost, who played volleyball at Division I Kansas State University, is taking over as head coach for LP this year and she’s excited with what the season holds for her squad. LP, which returns the majority of players from last year’s team that went 14-12 overall, opens its season at Houston 7 p.m. Thursday.

Cost said it helps to take over a team that already has established leaders.

“So far, so good,” Cost said. “It’s new to me but I know the game so I feel pretty confident in passing on the information. The kids have a good knowledge base so they’ve made it easy.”

Cost has brought some of the drills she learned in college to LP. While her team may not be able to run those drills just like a Division I volleyball team, they can still do them.

LP senior Sarah Holtz said the drills were confusing at first, but they became easier as the team picked them up. She said the Athletics are looking forward to playing for Cost.

“We really like her. She obviously knows what she’s doing. She’s done it a long time and I think it’s going to rub off on us,” Holtz said. “Things are different at first, just like whenever you get a new coach, but I think she’s done a good job transitioning.”

Cost was inspired by three coaches with different approaches when she played at KSU.

Jason Watson, who is now the head coach at Arizona State University, always told Cost the truth, whether it was good or bad and he always focused on making players better. Suzie Fritz, who is currently the head coach at KSU, was a positive coach, and Jim McLaughlin, who is now the head coach at the University of Washington was very numbers driven and he used stats to help make his team better.

“They’re all excellent coaches,” Cost said.

Cost is at an advantage for a first-year coach as LP has shown improvement in years past. Holtz gives the team a go-to hitter and senior Courtney Walter has more than 1,000 career set assists.

“It’s a perfect situation to be in,” Cost said. “They’re picking it up really fast and they’re excited to learn new things.”

Cost is in the KSU athletic Hall of Fame. She was named Big 12 player of the year in her senior year at KSU in 2003 and the Wildcats won the conference that season. She finished with 1,212 career kills.