PREVIEW: LA NET SQUAD YOUNG WITH GOOD POTENTIAL

    A look at the Langford Area volleyball roster this fall shows that the Lady Lions will be young and inexperienced, but what doesn’t show up on paper is the potential that Coach Susan Larson sees in her squad.
    “We’re definitely going to be younger than we have been, but I’ve been pleased with the girls’ enthusiasm for the game in preseason practices,” said Larson, who is beginning her 31st year at Langford and 33rd year as a head coach.  “The girls came in energetic and ready to go and are putting in the work.  I think our biggest strength is their desire to work hard, learn, and grow.  We will improve a lot this year and our potential for growth is exciting.”
    The Lady Lions will open their 2024 campaign by hosting Waverly-South Shore on Tuesday. 
    Five seniors graduated from last year’s 12-20 squad and just four letterwinners return.  They include the team’s lone senior, Eliana Darling, junior Paytyn Marlow, and sophomores Alex Darling and Emily Olson.
    Named as starters for Tuesday’s opener are junior Mariah Tosse and Olson in the middle, sophomores Lizzie Gustafson and Autumn Wegleitner on the outside, Marlow and junior Clarrisa Guy at the setting positions, and Darling at libero.  Sophomore Regan Bruns will be subbing for Olson in the back row.
    Darling is expected to be a regular but suffered a foot injury and will be sidelined for the first part of the season.
    “It will be nice to see where we’re at in our opener,” said Larson.  “We have a lot of girls in new spots and it’s like a puzzle.  The only person in the same position is Darling and she also moved from the middle to outside.  We just need to make sure all the pieces fit together.”
    Larson points to good passing as a key ingredient for her team to be successful.
    “It’s the lifelong story of LA volleyball that we have to become better passers.  Our focus is passing and defense.  It will be important for us to stay positive and to work hard, and we have to work together to have success.”
    Larson knows that her hopes of realizing the potential she sees in her players will not happen overnight.
    “Right now we have a lot of inexperienced varsity players but some of them have played a lot of volleyball.  Keys for us will be spending time on the court together and becoming better passers and better communicators.”