Ridge Point Fall 2023 Volleyball

2023 SEASON Preview COACH’S CORNER – INTERVIEW ARTICLE 7/23/23

going to have to come in and compete every day. I’m truly going to have to decide, based on, “You only get to play if you’re practicing the way that you should be.” So this year, more than ever, our girls will have to compete for their spot; and the playing time will be granted or not, based on how you’re practicing. If that competition scares a player away, she’s probably not gonna see the court very much. But, for those that rise to the challenge and want to come in and compete every day the way that I know they can, they’re going to make my job really difficult this year (deciding who is on the varsity roster). SEASON PREVIEW Lauren Battle (S/RS/OH) Sr : Veteran leader and captain of our team. She has played almost every position on the court at a really high level since her Freshman year. Talented, selfless and a great teammate. Taylor Jory (S) Sr : Purple heart recipient

year in and year out because that’s exactly who she is; gives 100% of her heart to her teammates 100% of the time. Carrington Cook (RS/OH) Sr : Fierce competitor and another one of our captains that has all of the shots and can play multiple positions. Cameron Coleman (MB) Sr : Everyone loves Cameron, respects Cameron, listens to Cameron, because that’s who she is to everyone else. Kennedi Rogers (OH) Junior : great kid, great student, great talent, and continues to do amazing things! Aaliyah Smith (OH/RS) Junior : Great player. Great teammate. Great student. Great kid. She’s just great and we’re so grateful Taylor Johnson (MB) Soph : Our very own energizer bunny! When she has the energy, it is unmatched and very contagious! She has grown so much personally and athletically and we’re very proud of her!

the power. Aaliyah Smith has the length. Carrington Cook has the shots. Lauren Battle has, you know, a little bit of everything, and the list goes on and on, so I can’t really point out one person. Q: This season, when maybe you have several players who are on the bubble for making the on the varsity roster, how would you describe the culture of competition during your practices? Will it be more intense than ever? A: Yes, because our senior class alone is so

HEAD COACH LAURYN BAILEY ANSWERS ROGER SMITH’S QUESTIONS ABOUT RIDGE POINT’S UPCOMING VOLLEYBALL SEASON. Q: Coach Bailey, what are the Panthers’ best assets for the 2023 season as you see them before starting the official UIL workouts? A: I think one of our biggest assets is experience. We have a lot of girls who are returning, and we have girls that are just experienced in big-time situations. I think that experience is going to help us go a long way this year. Q: Is there someone who really stands out as, let’s say, your best player when it comes to getting kills to go down; or your best at defense; or your best server? Or is it just a solid, multi-skilled lineup? A: Yeah, I can’t really name one person who’s best at specific skills, because we have a lot of those. So, you know, Kennedi Rogers has

big. I currently have nine seniors who are planning on trying out and make the team. We usually only carry 15 (varsity players, regardless of classification), but with nine seniors – and pretty much all of them are trying to play at the next level – they’re

20 AT THE NET • FALL 2023