Spiking hard into a new season
By Macy Reeves for the FCT
With volleyball games just around the corner, coaches have been pushing their players to do their best, focusing on certain skills at practice to make their teams the best.
“I have really been pushing aggressiveness and passing, but the team has definitely improved a lot over the summer. I’m predicting victories at our starting games against Haleyville and in the tournament at Florence,” said Coach Charlotte Dollar, Russellville’s volleyball coach.
Russellville is holding high hopes for the upcoming season, not only from the coach’s point of view but also from the two captains, Megan Brockway and Patricia Borden.
“We’ll do pretty good. There will be some challenges we will have to work through, but in the end we will do our best. I’m confident about the (upcoming) games,” said Brockway.
Borden agreed, saying, “I’m feeling like we’re going to come out on top. There will be some challenges, but we will be just fine. It will make us stronger as a team.”
But Russellville isn’t the only team that is feeling confident about the first games in this new season. Coach Teresa Whitten, Belgreen volleyball coach of four years, whose team was a runner-up at area in 2013, and won last year, also is expecting wins.
“We have several returning players, and our new players are athletes in other sports, so I’m sure they will do fine. I’ve been really pushing being vocal at practice (calling the ball). I’m confident about our (upcoming) games; we play bigger schools, so we will get better. Our home games will be starting on Sept. 5,” said Whitten.
Belgreen’s two captains, Allyson Bragwell and Kylie Murry, will hopefully be leading the team to victory in the coming up season.
Tharptown’s volleyball team is full of younger players, which will be the team’s biggest weakness.
“We have a lot of talent; we’re just young. This year we have three ninth graders and an eighth grader that will get a lot of playing time. Senior Cheyenne Martin is the senior who is coming back this year – she has experience,” said Coach Tanna Benford. “One of our first games will be against Hatton. They were pretty good last year. We’re looking to compete and win a few games.”
Russellville’s high school home games will start Sept. 3, and middle school will start Sept. 1. Belgreen will playing at home starting Sept. 5, and Tharptown will start its home games Sept. 9.
