Makayla Sanders sees the progress.
Four years ago, Sanders was a freshman on a New Hope High School volleyball program that was trying to establish itself. Formed in 2012 and led by Laura Lee Holman, New Hope had its best season in 2013 when it won its first region championship and made its first playoff appearance. The postseason was highlighted by a 3-2 home victory against Lewisburg before a rowdy crowd at New Hope High. Seniors Mercedes Mattix, Silvia Sartori, Allison Newton, Alaina Nickoles, and Ashley Martian led the Lady Trojans.
Since then, New Hope has been trying to get back to that level. Sanders feels this could be the season the Lady Trojans make a run at the postseason.
“We have come a long way,” Sanders said, thinking back to her freshman year. “We went to UAB camp last summer and this summer, and this summer was way better. Just as a team, we looked way better. Our passes have gotten better. We have learned to do jump serves, and our hitting has gotten better.”
New Hope will kick off its season Saturday at the Pontotoc High tournament. It will take on one of at least two Pontotoc teams and Corinth.
Now in her third season as head coach, Allison Woolbright sees the signs of progress, too. She will be assisted by Megan Acosta, who is in her last year at the school. Woolbright said Acosta received her orders last week and will go to Japan after the season.
“We are definitely a lot better than we were last year and the year before,” Woolbright said. “Even (former Mississippi State volleyball coach) Tina (Seals) commented (Monday) that it was the difference between night and day.”
Woolbright said New Hope has been working on conditioning since April. She said the players are focusing on the “little things” like footwork to help them build solid foundations for growth.
Sanders, who hopes to play volleyball in college, epitomizes the development of volleyball at New Hope High. Earlier this summer, she received an invitation to attend a volleyball showcase in Atlanta. She also has attended volleyball camps at Alabama.
Woolbright said there are nine players in the program who play club volleyball with Seals and Level Elite Sports. Seals was at New Hope High on Monday and Tuesday working with the players on fundamentals. Woolbright said the number of club players is up from about four or five last season. She also said there are only three girls in the program who hadn’t played the sport prior to this year. In all, New Hope has 37 in the program, including 15 on the middle school team.
“I definitely think it is becoming a big thing,” said Woolbright, who added the return of athletics to Mississippi University for Women in Columbus and to Bevill State Community College in Fayette, Alabama, gives student-athletes more incentive to go after opportunities to continue their careers at the next level.
That’s encouraging for Sanders, who sees more confidence in her teammates and more communication as a team.
“Last season we didn’t communicate, so the ball would drop or we would run into each other or point fingers at other people,” said Sanders, who plays libero, or the designated defensive player. “This year, we all believe in everybody. That is a big step.”
With five seniors on the squad, Woolbright said the college chances should motivate a lot of the younger players to devote more time to the sport. Earlier this summer, Woolbright again took her varsity and junior varsity teams to volleyball camp at UAB. She and Acosta returned to UAB with the middle school players.
“It really was an eye-opener for the middle school, and I think it is going to help us with our middle school program this year,” Woolbright said. “Last year, they didn’t have any experience until the first game, and we looked like we were kind of lost. Now, they kind of know. They also conditioned with us, so we were ahead with our footwork and everything. It was pretty good.”
Woolbright hopes the varsity and JV teams are ahead of schedule, too.
“I think we look good,” Woolbright said. “It is hard to tell until you start playing, but as far as varsity all of the girls have been there since the ninth grade. … I think we should be able to compete with just about anybody.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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