Entering the 2010 season in a new league, the Peabody-Burns volleyball team will look to improve from last season.
Coming off a 10-21 record overall and 2-9 in the Heart of America League, the Warriors enter the new Wheat State League, joining former HOA opponents Goessel and Little River and six schools from the now defunct Dwight D. Eisen?hower League: Centre, Hope, Solomon, Wakefield, White City and Elyria Christian.
Showing flashes of solid play last fall, Peabody-Burns took third at the Solomon tournament and first at its home tournament.
In his ninth year as the Warrior coach, Darren Schroeder returns two starters. Schroeder said senior middle hitter Emery Hodges and outside hitter Michaela Methvin will be looked to for leadership, at the net and defensively.
?Michaela will be our strongest hitter and will carry much of the load,? Schroeder said. ?Embry will be called upon to shore up our defense at the net.?
Delivering the ball to the front-line seniors will be junior setter Sara Hofkamp. Junior outside hitter Tori Schroeder, and two sophomore hitters, Paige Lewis and Rayna Barnes, will function as role players.
?We hope our younger players and newcomers to the varsity will fit into their roles and develop for us quickly so we can be competitive on a nightly basis,? Schroeder said.
?Hopefully, as the season progresses, our ball control will continue to improve and that will lead to improvement in all facets of our system.
?The chemistry on the team is great and I think this will allow us to identify roles and players to play to their strengths, allowing the team to improve into a competitive team in the new Wheat State League.?
The Warriors are picked to finish fourth in the Wheat State behind Little River, Goessel and Wakefield and ahead of White City, Solomon, Hope and Elyria Christian.
PBHS started its season Aug. 28 with a home tournament. The Warriors are in action at home again Sept. 7 when they host a triangular.
