By By BRUCE HIXON-Sports Editor
If somebody had to pick a theme for Monday's opening day of practice for the Jefferson Davis Community College Lady Warhawks volleyball team, "getting to know you" would be an appropriate one.
Nine of the squad's 11 members are freshmen and come from nine different high school programs. Even JDCC's two sophomores, Tiffany Andersen and Lashundra Clausell, have
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not played together because Clausell sat out last year as a redshirt.
"I've never had a team here where none of our players have played a game together, but they've had a chance to work with each other a few days so that part shouldn't be a big problem," JDCC coach Misti Nims said.
For the first time since Nims took over the program, the Lady Warhawks are holding two-a-day practices.
"We've only got about three and a half weeks from the start of practice until our first game and that isn't a lot of time, especially once school starts. We decided to go to two-a-days this year for the first couple of weeks of practice because it allows us to get a lot more done," Nims said.
Nims said her players have been involved in various offseason activities in preparation for the start of practice.
"We've had them in the weight room a couple of days a week for a while now and they've done some running on their own, at least they've said they've been running," Nims said.
While most of the Lady Warhawks played club ball during the winter and spring months, Nims said there is still a period of adjustment once practice gets underway again.
"Probably the toughest skill to get back coming into practice is serving. It takes a little while for the players to get their placement back. The other big thing for them is just getting their reaction time back. They have to get used to a ball coming at them again," the JDCC coach said.
The Lady Warhawks were minus setter Jessica
Stafford when practice began Monday.
NOTE: The Lady Warhawks have received their pairings for their season-opening tournament at Wallace State-Hanceville on August 26.
JDCC will open up against the host Wallace State-Hanceville squad at 10 a.m. The Lady Warhawks then play Faulkner State at 1 p.m. and conclude pool play at 5:30 p.m. against Central Alabama.
The top pool teams advance to the second day of the tournament on August 27.