Published: July 22, 2008 11:48 pm            

Volleyball anyone?: Lady Cats getting ready for 1st season with camp

KERENS — Kerens volleyball coach Charles Donahoe got his first look at the new Lady Cats.

For the first time, the Lady Cats took the volleyball court as part of Donahoe’s camp at Kerens Gymnasium.

Donahoe said he hopes to install the basics during the camp so when practice starts on Aug. 4 the team will have a foundation.

“I had a girl ask me if playing volleyball in her back yard counted as experience,” Donahoe said. “Realistically, that’s where we are starting here.

“A lot of these girls have never picked up a volleyball before and they are having to learn everything from basic fundamentals to terminology.”

This will be the first year volleyball will be played at Kerens High School.

The camp is broken into two parts with junior high and freshmen girls working on drills in the morning session while the high school girls practiced in the afternoon session.

A District 14-2A committee recently approved a resolution allowing the Lady Cats to play competitive in the district this season.

When the Kerens ISD Board of Trustees approved the addition of volleyball in the spring, the UIL had already realigned the districts for 2008-2010. If the district coaches didn’t allow Kerens to compete in the district, the Lady Cats would have had to play an outlaw schedule this fall.

“The good thing is we can actually compete for a playoff spot,” Donahoe said.

“We have ways to go, but we are going to be able to make the playoffs if we work hard and play as a team.”

Two-time All-Golden Circle Player of the Year Ashley Montalvo assisted Donahoe with instruction in the afternoon session with the high school players. Montalvo was a standout while at Blooming Grove.

The Lady Cats will open the 2008 season Tuesday, Aug. 12 at home against Palmer. The varsity match will follow the junior varsity match scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

        

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