Lady Raiders looking to strike gold

The Rice Lady Raiders are looking to strike gold in the form of a playoff berth this season and have plenty of talent on the roster get the job done.

Looking at last season the Lady Raiders experienced some growing pains, but head coach David Leist said he saw improvement and that’s what he wanted out of the season.

The Lady Raiders posted an 11-33 record last season while having a 2-12 record in the district standings. They lost four seniors from last season, Tricelle Fields, Ariana Palacios, Anabel Gonzales and Adalyn Rogers will not be returning to the Lady Raiders leaving some holes in the lineup.

They Lady Raiders do have a lot of notable returning players to fill those spots starting with Abigail Hoelscher. She is entering her senior season and one thing about Hoelscher is she is going to give her very best no matter the score.

The team feeds off her leadership, and it was evident during their scrimmage against the Weimar Ladycats. She’s primed to have a big senior season and she’s going to bring the team along with her.

Another notable return to the roster is Ava Torres and Breelyn Freeman who are both very dynamic athletes that can play all over the court. Their offensive upside can’t be undersold either because these two have great scoring abilities that will aid the Lady Raiders as the season moves along.

Alejandra Palacios is also returning to the team, and she brings a great presence to the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. She also has a high volleyball IQ and brings a cerebral approach to the game that will help the Lady Raiders win a lot of close games.

The Lady Raiders record should improve this season because they are a more experienced team, but they have a chip on their shoulder. A 2-12 record in district has this team chomping at the bit to get the season started a show people they are in fact a different team.

A playoff berth is the ultimate goal for the Lady Raiders and the journey to secure one begins on Thursday, Aug. 15, when they participate in the Van Vleck Tournament.