Headed into year two with volleyball as a varsity sport, Noxapater head coach Pam Mills is hoping the experience her girls picked up last year pay off this season.
“We are basically returning five starters from last year and that should help us this year,” she said. “We were just teaching the basic rules of the game last year and how to play. I think we were very successful with that through practice and a lot of work that they put in on their own.”
Volleyball in Mississippi saw a major increase in teams over the last two years, which caused a disparity in the competition level. There are many divisions, especially in the smaller classifications, that have schools with programs that have been playing several years competing against those just starting.
“From the self-confidence point of view playing other new teams is good because you are on a level playing field, but it’s also good to play better teams so you can learn.
“Last year I was begging to play Grace Christian because those girls are very experienced and we needed to see how hard we have to work,” Mills said.
Mills, who played and coached softball, said she was learning as well. “I knew nothing about volleyball a year and a half ago,” she said. “As a coach, I’m not too proud to learn.”
The Lady Tigers will play a junior varsity and varsity match each playing date. The junior varsity matches are best two-of-three sets, while varsity is best three-of-five.
Making up the varsity team are Addy Webb, Mia Smith, Madison Riggs, Nona Wilkes, Mary Grace Mills, Ramsey Roberts, Jenna Wilkes, and Lindsey Mills.
Mills is also excited about the development of a junior high program, noting that they had 12 sixth graders come out for a mini-camp last year and decided to keep them together so they could learn and improve as a unit.
Last Friday night the Lady Tigers hosted a jamboree with Nanih Waiya and Winston Academy, picking up a win over WA and dropping a decision to Nanih Waiya.
Noxapater opened the regular season at home against Louisville on Tuesday and was set to visit Kosciusko on Thursday and travel to Louisville on Tuesday Aug. 20 and host Winston Academy on Thursday, Aug. 22.
The Lady Tigers compete in the same region with Choctaw County, Aberdeen, Amory, West Lowndes, Nanih Waiya and Kemper County.
