By Chuck Reherman
Sports Editor
It will be a Bedlam opener for Yukon’s middle school Millerette volleyball team.
The Millerettes will face a challenge from rival Mustang South in a 6 p.m. contest on their home court.
The junior varsity will play at 5 p.m. and the non-conference teams will play at Piedmont also at 5 and 6 p.m.
Millerette head coach Jason Hammett is looking to field his strongest team and one that could challenge for the conference title with two starters back from last season and three others that logged playing time.
The opener will be a test for the Millerettes. Mustang South seemingly always fields a strong team. The teams split their two matches last year.
“It will be an interesting match,” Hammett said. “We have some good players and we are finalizing our varsity and JV roster. I have my top six or seven already picked out and we have to fill out a couple more. I like our chances against Mustang.
“We have three more practices before we open the season,” Hammett said. “Wednesday’s practice was really our first night where we split the teams up. The first two nights was where I tried to figure out which teams the girls would be on and it was our first night that we were together as teams.”
Hammett has a solid group of players, including two that have just returned from playing in national tournament in Detroit with their club team.
“I have a few that are very experienced players and have a couple of seventh graders that are new, but are solid players,” Hammett said. “I think there is as good a chance as any of doing really well.
“We are really strong at libero, middle blocker and outside hitters,” he said. “We have to find someone that is confident enough at setter. We have a couple we are looking at and they have a chance to turn out to what I think they can be. A lot of it is just confidence, they have the ability, we just have to bring it out in them.”
The Millerettes will play their first four matches at home. which Hammett likes.
“The thing right now is getting our players to mesh, because they haven’t played with each other before,” he said. We are getting that team mentality and I like our chances, we don’t have a conference championship in volleyball here and this is a good chance to put our first one up on the wall. We have a good solid core, just need some role players to come fill in where we need.”
