Student Athlete of the Week Shen Lam

No matter how dominant Niwot High School boys volleyball has been overall this season, falling to Poudre School District on Thursday, April 11, qualified as an absolute gut-punch. The visiting Cougars had their opportunities to put Poudre away for good in the fourth set but ultimately lost in a five-set thriller.

Turning the page quickly while learning from what went wrong now becomes the challenge for Niwot, which dropped to 11-3 on the season. While head coach John Miller will offer his own guidance, he'll also be looking toward leaders such as senior Shen Lam.

From Lam's perspective, losing to Poudre may have been exactly what the Cougars needed. The first-year varsity player admitted that the difficult defeat helped put a spotlight on any complacent attitudes, a toxin that often infiltrates winning teams.

"We kind of needed a loss to keep us in check," Lam said. "I feel like we've been getting complacent, and I feel like it'll help us drive to get better."

Before falling to the PSD Stars, Niwot had won 10 of its last 11 matches, including six sweeps. However, some of the Cougars' nagging troubles became apparent on Thursday evening in Fort Collins.

"One specific thing is covering, I thought, and defense and letting a lot of balls drop that we shouldn't have," Lam said. "It's mostly about energy and the dynamic of the team, to be honest."

In only the program's second year of existence, Niwot remains one of Colorado's best teams this spring. Lam, a Silver Creek High School student who was on junior varsity last season, has appreciated being a part of the Cougars' quick rise.

"It's really cool because last year, we were a very average team. Now, and we might drop a bit, but we've been top eight basically the entire season," Lam said. "I think we'll be able to host the regionals, which last year, we didn't even make. It's been super fun. We have such a strong team."

Miller has also enjoyed watching Lam grow into one of Niwot's most productive varsity players.

"He's meant a ton to this team," Miller said. "His steady play, coming up big in clutch situations as he did today in that last game (helped). Obviously, a tough loss tonight, but his play has improved and continues to improve every game."

As of Sunday, April 14, Lam's 101 total kills rank second on the team to junior Jenu Ngialah's 116. He's also third in both serving aces (17) and digs (78).

Because Niwot's program hosts players from across the St. Vrain Valley School District, Lam has formed strong relationships with fellow student-athletes he likely wouldn't have met otherwise.

"I've made good friends and I've gotten really close to some of the people on the team," Lam said. "It's really nice to have a district team."