STARKVILLE — Playing as a team is a goal every athlete and coach will list at some point of the season.
And as cliché and obvious as the concept might seem, a team won”t get far with individual play.
Starkville High School volleyball coach Lauren Love has been drilling that concept to her squad since she took over last season.
Communication is vital for solid team play, but the spirit of playing for one another can help overcome any deficiencies or lack of experience.
As a burgeoning program in the state”s top flight, Love used her first year to cover the basics of the game and to develop a strong bond throughout the team.
A 12-win season and Class 3 playoff berth later, she and assistant Diana Wileman hope to build the team”s systematic approach.
“Last year, with a new coach and a new system, we were just working on pass, set, and attack,” said Love, whose team opens the season today at the Set It Off Challenge in Jackson. “Now that we have a team that”s a bit more experienced, we can work on offensive plays and work out of different defensive sets.
“The girls tell me, ”We”re ready for a hard practice,” so we”ve been pushing them.”
The team is fresh off a volleyball camp at Belmont University (Tenn.), where it faced new competition and got quality repetitions for the wave of new players who”ll take the court this season.
The time in Nashville was needed, as finding frontline replacements for Deanna Rieves, Janae Poe, and Laretha Williams was an offseason priority. All three players stood 5-foot-8 or taller, a luxury the Lady Jackets won”t have this season.
With aces leader and outside hitter Elizabeth Scott, starting setter Wheeler Richardson, and libero McKay Richardson returning, Love is confident in the experienced core.
Seniors Rebecca Myles, Tierra Tillman and Jondia Weatherspoon have the least experience. All three are frontline players, too.
Despite the turnover, Love”s confidence is boosted by strong club seasons from six players. McKay, Wheeler, Scott, Priyanka Parajuli, and Khristian Carr play for Tupelo Juniors. Wheeler Richardson, the older of the two sisters, noticed a difference in the team”s play at Belmont.
“You get a lot more touches and play from December to June against top teams,” Wheeler said. “Based on what we saw at camp, there won”t be a drop off with what we lost. I saw a lot of heart when we were playing teams that were at a higher level than us. We were going after it and we weren”t giving up whenever we thought we couldn”t hang with who we were playing.
“We bonded and jelled more than we ever did last year.”
Grace Drumheller returns as another option at defensive specialist, and Love is high on eighth-grader MB Carr, who with Myles will provide height.
Starkville will have four straight home games between Aug. 10-19, and nine overall at The Beehive. The Lady Jackets also will play in tournaments at Madison Central and Tupelo.
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