Heritage has postseason expectations
Posted on Saturday, August 16, 2008
ROGERS — Small in numbers, the Rogers Heritage volleyball team should still have a big year, says its first-year coach.
“ Honestly, I think the girls will be underestimated a little, ” head coach Sarah Miser says. “ I do expect us to go to the state tournament. ”
The inaugural volleyball team at Heritage High will compete with just eight players in one of the state’s top conferences. Three of the girls have never played before.
Six of the eight teams from the 7 A-West Conference will advance to the Class 7 A Tournament at Har-Ber High in Springdale. Heritage plays its first regular-season game Aug. 25 at home against Alma. Miser hopes to add a few new players to the roster before then.
“ The first week of school we’ll really push to get some girls to come out for the team, ” she says. “ If we can get to 10 girls we’re going to have a JV team. ”
Miser, a former All-State performer at Rogers High, spent the last two seasons as the assistant coach at defending Class 7 A champion Bentonville.
She says practices here during the preseason have worked well, thanks to the addition of the freshman team.
“ We have 14 ninth-graders that practice with us so we can get a lot done, ” Miser says. “ And the big thing in volleyball is serving and serve-receive so we can always work on those areas. ”
Optimism here has been high during the summer, Miser says. The Lady War Eagles have practiced together since the second week of July and played well at a team camp at Branson (Mo. ) High School, where they won six consecutive games before losing in the tournament semifinals.
“ I know we’re going to have some difficult times, ” Miser says. “ But I really think the girls are going to surprise some people, including myself. They all have great attitudes. When you give 100 percent you’d be surprised what can come of it. ”
Madison Scott, a junior, is the team captain and will be one of the team’s main hitters along with sophomore Shelby White.
Both players are also the team’s setters.
“ Madison is just a good, all-around athlete, ” Miser says. “ And all the girls are solid. ”
NOTES: Miser’s first game against Rogers High — coached by her mother, Jeana Breedlove — is at home Sept. 25. … Miser is a 2002 Rogers grad and set numerous school records as the Lady Mounties posted a 24-4 record in 2001, the best in school history. She was also voted Miss RHS. … The assistant coach at Heritage is Danielle Stevens, a former setter for the Lady Mounties and a 2003 graduate. … Both coaches also played basketball for the Lady Mounties … The tallest player on the Heritage roster is Marisa Shaw, who stands 5-foot-9. … All eight players carry a grade-point average of 3. 5 or higher.
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