By By Adam Robinson – Sports Editor
After a busy summer full of workouts, team camps and other summer conditioning work, the W.S. Neal Lady Eagle volleyball team held its first official practice of the 2008 season on Monday.
During the summer, the girls worked out two days a week from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Third-year Lady Eagle head coach Britney Shelly said that summer workouts went well and that some girls on the team improved more than others.
While the main point of summer workouts was to focus on getting in shape for the upcoming season, the girls participated in the Summer Bash Team Camp, which allowed them to further work on certain skills.
While the team worked out during the summer locally, the Lady Eagles traveled to Auburn University for a team camp this season and Shelly said she noticed a difference in the team from the camp.
The 2008 Lady Eagle volleyball season will see 10 varsity players and nine junior varsity players on the court.
Shelly returns four starters from last year in Malary Booker (setter), Sydney Andrews (setter), Casey Wilson (middle hitter), and Megan Pence (defensive specialist).
After gradating only two seniors last year, Maggie Crutchfield and Katie Goolsby, Shelly says her team is still a young team for the 2008 season.
While her team is young, Shelly said she has learned a lot from the game as a coach.
W.S. Neal will be in the class 4A area one this season along with B.C. Rain, Jackson and UMS-Wright.