Pioneer High School’s volleyball team raised more than $1,000 for Alpha House this season, a program record, coach Allison Boone said.

The team also collected donated items during its Playing for a Cause night and is helping lead a children’s craft night at the shelter this fall, Boone said in a Nov. 10 Ann Arbor Public Schools profile.

Alpha House provides shelter and support for families in Washtenaw County.

The community service accompanies progress on the court. Boone, who has coached Pioneer’s varsity program since 2021, said its winning percentage has increased each season. MaxPreps lists the 2026 team at 20-14-1.

The schedule records a 3-2 loss to Dexter on Nov. 2. MLive’s postseason schedule identifies that matchup as the Division 1 District 18 opener at Saline.

Boone said two freshmen contributed to varsity this season. She also said the team took more sets from conference opponents than in any season over the preceding decade.

Building leadership

Boone described moving away from the tightly controlled coaching approach she experienced as an athlete.

“I’ve become a lot less prescriptive and much more collaborative,” she said. “I try to coach by asking more questions and doing a lot less telling.”

Pioneer Athletic Director Eve Claar credited Boone with creating a positive team culture that encourages participation and strengthens competitiveness.

Boone said the program began holding an annual varsity retreat five years ago. This year, players explored how their beliefs about themselves could limit their development.

Last season, the team visited the pottery studio of AAPS teacher and coach Steve Rodriguez, known as Coach Rod, for a leadership activity.

Boone also said the program has received team and senior academic all-state honors for six consecutive years.

Connecting education and coaching

Boone played volleyball at Spring Arbor University before coaching school and club teams. She later earned a master’s degree in higher education and a doctorate in educational leadership at Eastern Michigan University, where she taught leadership courses.

Now a leadership facilitator and consultant, Boone said her experiences in teaching and coaching inform each other.

“I’m a better teacher because I coach, and a better coach because I teach,” she said.