Over the past 10 years, Lee County preseason high school volleyball conversations centered around four programs.

Bishop Verot, Fort Myers and either Canterbury or Evangelical Christian School garnered the accolades and attention, and deservedly so.

The Cypress Lake Panthers are hoping to insert themselves into the mix this year and in years to come.

“Fort Myers is the top program, very well-coached and disciplined and mature on the court,” said second-year Cypress Lake coach Jessica Thornton, who moved to the school last year from Gibsonton East Bay High.

Not since the late 1990s, when Cypress Lake won five consecutive district titles and made a 1999 playoff run to the Class 4A state title game, have the Panthers held such promise. Cypress, coached then by Rick Hubbard, fell to Jacksonville Bishop Kenny in the championship game. Cypress Lake won a volleyball state title in 1982.

Thornton, adjusted to her new surroundings, has 10 seniors with whom to work this season.

Seven of the 10 seniors have started since their freshman year, and they played together on club teams prior to that.

?We all know each other really well,? said senior setter and team co-captain Emily Keim. ?They know what?s going to happen. They can read my language.?

They have improved each season, from winning four games as freshmen to 12 as sophomores to posting a 17-8 record last season as juniors.

?We build each year together,? said outside hitter Brooke Snyderman and co-captain. ?We trust each other on the court.?

Only a district tournament loss to Riverdale kept the Panthers from reaching the Class 4A state playoffs last season. Cypress Lake also has to contend with perennial power Fort Myers.

?Our reasonable goal is to get to the state tournament,? said Alli LaBerge, an outside hitter and co-captain with Keim and Snyderman. ?We want to compete with the high-level teams.?

To attain that goal, many of the Panthers, including LaBerge, spent their summer sharpening skills in beach tournaments, traveling to Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale and Siesta Key for competition.

The Panthers compete in the 10-team District 4A-11 also comprised of Baker, Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers, Lemon Bay, Mariner, North Fort Myers, Riverdale and South Fort Myers.

?I don?t want to sound too cocky, but the only two teams we?re worried about are Riverdale and Fort Myers,? Keim said. ?I think it would take a lot to beat Fort Myers. It would take our best game from everyone to beat them. We would really have to be on top of our game.?