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E-mail This StoryR.L. Turner’s volleyball team will make its switch to District 10-4A this season and along with the change of district, will look to gain experience on what is a young team entering the 2008 season.
Lady Lions volleyball coach Lindsay Giesey said six of 12 players return from last season, but just three starters: senior setter Ashley Flower, senior outside hitter Kathleen Stone and junior outside hitter Sarah Clark.
“Inexperience equals inconsistency,” Giesey said. “It’s going to be tough with the younger players. Hopefully we will be able to find that consistency and continue to get better and improve. We want to avoid getting into a rut whether it be defensively, or with serving errors and mistakes.”
Giesey said while the team lacks experience, the younger players bring different strengths.
“We’re going to have a lot more options because of our height,” Giesey said. “We have some taller players this season which can help us offensively and eventually be really good for our future. They just need to continue working hard, play the best defense we can, and improve mentally.”
One player Giesey thinks will fit in well is sophomore middle blocker Avery Vascoe.
Despite moving out of the highly competitive District 6-5A, where the Lady Lions failed to win a match last season, Giesey knows the team will still have a tough schedule in front of them.
Turner moves to District 10-4A, competing against rival Newman Smith, Highland Park, Greenville, Richardson Pearce, Rockwall, Rockwall Heath and Royse City.
“It’s going to be very similar and still very tough,” Giesey said. “It may give us a bit of a mental edge not seeing Coppell or Marcus on the jersey, but our opponents will still play at a high level and we have to keep up with the pace of the game and overcome that.”
Lions face Bishop Lynch in scrimmage Saturday
Summer nearing an end signifies the start of the school year for many students. But, for football players its means the season is nearing.
R.L. Turner’s football team will get its first look against an unfamiliar foe Saturday at 10 a.m. when the team will scrimmage against Bishop Lynch at Standridge Stadium. The game will be followed by scrimmages from the junior varsity team and freshman team.
This week will also be the last week of two-a-days for the team. The Lions have been practicing from 7-9 a.m. followed by an hour long break with a second practice from 9-11 a.m.
“It’s gone very well so far,” said Turner coach Tyrone Larkins. “The kids are excited and have been practicing hard. There was one day where it was extremely hot but other than that there haven’t been any heat issues.”
Larkins said the team will trim the schedule down to one practice per day but will switch to afternoon practices to get used to the practice schedule during the school year.
Larkins added the Lions have had good turnouts to the practices. The varsity team has had between 45-50 players practicing, while the junior varsity has had 40 players. The freshman team had more than 50 participants.
“We’ve had great numbers and I expect them to go up even more,” Larkins said. “Sometimes it’s a case of getting the word out more.”
Larkins also said the team has not been dramatically affected by injuries this summer.
“We’ve had to hold out a couple of players with nicks and bruises but it is more of a precautionary measure,”
On the field Larkins is pleased with the progress and will look to the scrimmage to provide a better gauge of the team.
“The defense is coming along,” Larkins said. “But, the defense is usually ahead of the offense this early. Saturday we’ll look for a little more cohesiveness from the offense. We need to work on some formations and work out the kinks.”
