With two consecutive trips to the playoffs, the Sulphur Lady Tor volleyball team is looking to build on that success and make another trip to the playoffs.
Although they lost five seniors from last year (Maggie Cooke, Kelli Mancil, Allison Callahan, Mandy Prejean and Lauren Grabowki), the Lady Tors will have four starters back.
They may be lacking some in varsity game experience but head coach Julie Mancuso has been impressed with their progress over the summer.
“We have had a few scrimmages and we have played some games throughout the summer,” Mancuso said. “So these kids got some experience where they might not have got last year as far varsity experience.
“I am pleasantly surprised with the amount of starters that we lost that the new kids are stepping in and doing just fine. It will be interesting to see how they do when the matches start.”
When it comes to setting up their attack, the Lady Tors return to experienced setters in seniors Amber Louviere and Elise Pago.
“We have some experience there so I am happy about that,” Mancuso said. “They are kind of the quarterback of your team.”
Junior Taylor Wilkins is also getting some time at setter
Junior Caitlen Blanchard is back for her third year as a starter but instead of her usual position at libero, Blanchard is moving to outside hitter.
She not is tall as a typical outside hitter at just 5’7” but Mancuso has been impressed by Blanchard’s ability to block the ball.
“She is jumping real well at the net and getting her hands on the ball as far as blocks go,” Mancuso said. “She has decent ball control.
“Her height is not affecting her. She has good jumping ability.”
With Blanchard moving to the outside, the Lady Tors will look to a trio of players, senior Katelyn Breaux and juniors Tracy Little and Mary Catherine Zachary, to take over the defensive duties.
“They are doing a decent job of reading the ball,” Mancuso said. “Not a lot of them have the varsity experience so it is going to be a matter of who is on that week or that game.
“They have played the defensive roll a couple of years now at the JV level so it is time for them to step in at the varsity level and do the same for us.”
The Lady Tors will have some big shoes to fill at the middle and outside hitting positions with the loss of outside hitters Cooke and Callahan and middle hitter Mancil.
