ROCKINGHAM – The new-look Richmond Senior High School Volleyball Team got back to work for their first practice since finishing the season with a three-set playoff loss to Gray’s Creek last fall.
After graduating seven players from the roster last spring, the Lady Raiders come into their first week of practice confident, and look to put their skills on display Saturday for a multiple-team scrimmage in Southern Pines.
“We’ll play for 45 minutes. It’s a free rotation, no score is kept. It’s really more for time and reps. We participated in it last year, and it was good for us developmentally. We had a lot more returning varsity (last year), so adjustments were a little easier. This time go-round, we have some girls who have been pulled up to us (at varsity). They’ve been part of the program, but they will be entering new positions. It will be a good experience for all tomorrow,” Coach Ashleigh Larsen said.
The Lady Dragons finished last season below .500 with an 11-12 record, and fourth in the Sandhills Athletic Conference with an 8-6 record. Although losing seniors from the lineup, Coach Larsen stopped short of saying her team was in a rebuild. In fact, RSHS’ prognosis for the season may be a bit more positive than expected with solid middle blockers and her outside hitters showing a bit of unexpected power during practice Thursday morning.
“We’ve had a really good summer. We’ve had a lot of girls come out, and it’s a testament to girls like [senior setter Ava Edmondson] for building the program up. They’ve been really involved all summer and working hard. They didn’t take time off in the offseason either. A lot of them are multi-sport athletes, so it’s a testament to the rest of our programs for keeping them in shape for us … Collectively, getting back together, it looks good so far. We just have to tweak a few things and make some adjustments,” Coach Larsen said.
For Edmondson, she is not exactly working with an entirely new set up players in the lineup. She credited junior varsity coaches for preparing the newcomers to step up this season and feels her team is ahead of schedule when it comes to preseason preparation. With a few canon arms in the lineup, Edmondson believes just a few changes in how she sets up her outside hitters will make a dramatic difference come the first whistle of the regular season.
“Our season is going to be really good. I just have to work with my hitters, where they can actually be good and (hit the ball) where they want. I think we’ll be good this season. We’ve got really good hitters. It’s amazing. I love the feeling when I have a good set. Even when I don’t have a good set, they still find a way to hit it and get it somewhere,” Edmondson said.
Regardless of how Saturday shakes out, the Lady Raiders will only have a few more days until things get real when they host Forest Hills August 11 for the season opener. First serve is set for 6 p.m.