The Mycenaean

The 2014-2015 women’s varsity volleyball team is full of new faces, inexperience and a whopping three seniors.

Say what you want about having only three seniors. Of course, it’s not “ideal.” But lately in sports the talk is about the next “big three,” whether it be basketball or baseball or soccer. Leesville volleyball has its own big three this year, literally.

Those three seniors are Kelly Pring, Rebecca Rice and Anna Weeks. The girls have played together four consecutive years now, this being their “final hoorah.”

“The season [thus far] has been OK, but we definitely have not been playing to our full potential,” says Rice.

The girls believe that their team can finish second or third in the conference, giving them a solid opportunity to make the playoffs. And although the team may be young and somewhat inexperienced, they believe that having only three seniors is an advantage.

“Having only three seniors and many underclassmen, it has made this year a building year and put even more emphasis on the leading role we must take within the team and on the court,” said Pring.

“We have played together for four years. And the fact that there are only three of us makes us closer and that bond makes it easier to lead the I

The concept of a building year varies in opinion around sports. However, in this case, the phrase “building year” has positive connotations. Since the players on the team understand this as well, there is a lack of pressure associated with their season, which hopefully will allow the younger girls to thrive.

Additionally, the team chemistry on this years team is something special. This year’s seniors seem to believe that their bond is much stronger than that of teams past. In years past, Leesville Road teams have been very successful, going to a state championship even. But on that team, there was more focus on the girl’s individual successes, since many went on to play in college. This season, conversely, the girls’ main focus is on building the bond between them.

If you happen to be on Twitter, seldom does a week pass in which the girls aren’t tweeting about their latest team dinner. And as we all know, if a team has solid chemistry, they can many times overcome other obstacles.

“Our chemistry is amazing. [I] couldn’t ask for a better group of girls. We get along on the court and enjoy spending time together outside of volleyball,” said Weeks.

The girls have one goal in mind: Prove to the rest of the Cap-8 and beyond that youth means nothing, and that they can overcome this and still be successful. With the three girls that have played on each others team since freshman year, having experienced a state championship run, they have every opportunity to defy all odds and finish in the top tier of the conference.