A miscommunication did nothing to stop the Llano High School volleyball team from winning its season opener.
The Lady Jackets (1-0) crushing San Antonio St. Mary's 25-9, 25-18, 25-13 Aug. 13.
Llano celebrated the end of the first week of practices by competing in an intrasquad scrimmage Aug. 9 and faced Coleman and Junction in scrimmages the next day.
All of that led to the sweeping St. Mary's, head coach Claire Head pointed out.
"The first week went really well," she said. "We are leaps and bounds over where we were last year. The things we tried to put in last year we're putting in now."
Senior Madi Green is the lone setter and "is running the offense," Head said.
Months earlier, the two had a conversation about Green moving to setter because it opened up the offense more and gave the Lady Jackets more weapons. After Head outlined her vision and how it would work, Green believed the move would be "fun."
Since then, she has worked on the position and even attended the Texas Christian University volleyball camp where she received more instruction.
"I don't know how many sets she got in each day," the coach said. "You wouldn't watch her and think she hadn't been doing it all the way through."
The Lady Jackets will continue to lean on senior Amelia Robinson, who committed to Georgia Southern University in the spring. She, too, has grown, Head said.
Where she sees the player's biggest growth is in her mentality. Robinson, who is regarded by most as the best player on the court, has a high personal standard. So during a chat, Head gave her a directive.
"I told her not to be so hard on herself and to demand the ball," she said. "We have to move to the next point and let it go. I feel like Amelia is so much stronger than last year."
Head is especially pleased with the team defense, noting the Lady Jackets are playing well.
"We're able to track down every ball on the court," she said. "The intensity is high."
Llano hosts its own tournament Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 15-17.
"They're ready to put jerseys on and go," Head said.
