Lehman’s Alex Smith will be among the players new head coach Megan Griffin counts on for leadership this season.
by JASON GORDON
Unlike football and cross-country, the volleyball programs at both Lehman and Hays high schools will be the lucky ones on Monday as they begin their summer workouts inside gymnasiums.
That doesn’t mean both programs won’t be working ferociously to get ready for the upcoming season.
Megan Griffin is certainly ready to see what her Lehman team can accomplish this year as she opens her first season as head coach of the Lady Lobos when the squad gathers for two-a-day practices Monday.
“It’s always a nerve-racking time for both players and coaches, but I’m really looking forward to two-a-days starting this year,” said Griffin, a former All-Conference player at Miami-Ohio University. “Our girls have been requesting a lot more open gym time, which is exciting because volleyball is a sport where the more you play the sharper you’re going to be.”
Lehman will start two-a-day practices at 9 a.m. and they will end by 1:30 p.m. The Lady Lobos will have an hour or so to cool down in between practices.
Griffin is hoping her leaders continue to bring the younger players along as the Lady Lobos try and get a foothold in the tough District 27-4A.
“We had a small group in our offseason program in the spring but it was a great opportunity for leadership to develop,” Griffin said. “I really liked what I saw. We know we’re a young, growing program but I’m looking forward to watching us take small steps and big strides toward being successful.”
Lehman scrimmages August 6 at Canyon Lake High and August 9 at Del Valle before opening the season with the Austin ISD Tournament August 12. The Lady Lobos’ home opener is August 19 against Cedar Ridge.
Lehman will also play in the Seguin and San Marcos Tournaments.
“It’s good to branch out and play different teams with different players and styles before district begins,” Griffin said. “The volleyball program has struggled since Lehman opened. We need to play against better opponents to hopefully build our players’ confidence.”
Hays will practice 7-10 a.m. and again from 3:30-5:30 p.m. beginning on Monday.
The Lady Rebels will jump right into the scrimmage schedule at New Braunfels High on August 5 and at Pflugerville High on August 6, both perennially tough Class 5A programs.
“Absolutely scrimmages are good because we don’t keep score,” Hays head coach Erica Walther said. “We can play a lot of different lineups which is great because we have a bunch of kids this year that can play a lot of different positions. It will be a challenge for me to get them in the right spot on the court.”
Hays opens the regular season August 9 at LaGrange before heading to the San Antonio Northside ISD Tournament August 12-13.
Hays High’s home opener will come against state-ranked Dripping Springs on August 15.
“I am very excited for two-a-days to begin,” Hays senior outside hitter Kelsea Sadler said. “I’m pretty pumped to see how everyone’s going to play together this year. We didn’t lose that many and we have a lot of girls trying out so things should get pretty intense. The competition should be great and that’s always a good thing.”
