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The Lady Raiders varsity volleyball squad will benefit from a year of varsity experience as well as the added chemistry of returning many of their starters from last season. Rice volleyball, like many of the other Raider sports programs, underwent a youth movement as rosters across Rice athletics featured several non-senior and underclassmen players. As a result, the Lady Raiders went through some of the growing pains of a young team in a difficult district as they finished near the bottom of the district standings. The volleyball team lost just one player to graduation this past season, returning most of a team looking to make a big step forward in the coming seasons as youth continues to be a focal point.
Head Coach David Leist believes that the development of the players from varsity down to junior high provides a little hope for the program moving forward.
“I am expecting a lot from my returners as well as my young teams coming up,” Leist said, “...I believe with my high school staff returning, hiring some strong junior high coaches and having most all volleyball players attending the team volleyball camp, Rice Consolidated volleyball is on the rise.”
Leist’s comments hinted at another reason why the team is hoping to show some improvement over last year: their togetherness and chemistry. The varsity girls not only attended the Rice volleyball camp together with high levels of participation, but they also competed in summer league play together as well as attended a team camp. The coaching staff has been emphasizing the importance of a team-first mindset as they continue to develop their players. Wins and losses are done as a team, putting the interests of the group ahead of the individual.
Part of their growing team chemistry will include some potential improvements on the defensive side of the ball as well as their communication. The Lady Raiders hope that their team-first mindset translates well on the court as they hope to move as a connected unit to show improvement on the receiving side of the net.
Even the Lady Raiders individual goals put a strong emphasis on putting the team first. The returning varsity players are being called to become leaders by example, helping other players become better as well as themselves. With the added year of experience, the returning players have some increased expectations of themselves as well as the coaching staff.
The Lady Raiders have not shied away from challenges as they work their way into becoming a force in the district. In a district with several top teams including twotime state semifinalist Columbus, the Lady Raiders constantly are doing battle with high-quality competition. Rice also has a non-district season that will reflect some of the competition they will see as they take on the Ganado, Schulenburg and home-hosted tournaments to prepare for another run in the district schedule.
Leist has made it clear that the eventual goal for the Lady Raiders is to be a winning program that consistently makes the postseason. But for a team that is still in the early stages of its process, he hopes the improvements in their team play, individual skill and understanding of the game will lead to better production down the line.
