Pre-season for the Ladycats volleyball team has be going as planned head coach Krissa England said.
“Having to fill five spots with underclassmen takes time,” England said. “The skill the players have is there but timing will come through practice.”
The Ladycats attended the Burkburnett Boomtown Classic on Aug. 16 and 1, winning the Bronze Bracket.
“We played very well and defeated teams who we thought would lose against,” senior Alyssa Schroeder said.
Middle hitter, and senior Malia Jones, said coming back from major back surgery has been a struggle.
“I knew I would have to work hard to get back to the place I was before surgery,” Jones said.  “It was hard because I wanted to get started before I was released but couldn’t, so I stuck with small drills to help me be prepared.”
Freshman Millie Mayo has had to step up and fulfill a role of a previous senior.
“I knew I was going to have to step up, so I kept that in mind all season last year because I needed to get as good as I could before I started with people I’ve never played with,” Mayo said.
Mayo said this experience has been eye-opening.
“I was nervous to play with girls who are older and who have more experience, but they have welcomed me in and have had my back the whole way,” Mayo said.
The team opens opportunities for players to play in new position.

“Hitting on left side is different than being a middle hitter,” sophomore Brilee Canada said. “I have confidence in myself that I can exceed in this role and improve the team.”
Freshman Ashlyn Harvey has filled the role as the libero for the Ladycats.
“It gets difficult when playing bigger teams, but keeping my head up and being open to learning how to play the position better is what I choose to accept,” Harvey said.
Harvey expresses that the coaches are very understanding and help a lot.
“Assistant coach Wuthritch has been very helpful in helping me improve my passing abilities,” Harvey said.