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The 2021-22 Swain County High School Lady Devils varsity volleyball team.
Hannah Styles
hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Head Volleyball Coach Lydia Sale said she is looking forward to seeing the growth of the players and the progression of the team.
“What I am looking forward to the most this season is seeing the growth of these girls They have made huge strides, progressing our culture, and not just for themselves but as a team. We want to be respected by other teams and that’s happening and it’s really exciting,” Sale said.
The volleyball team lost several seniors last year, which required remaining upperclassmen to step it up as well as underclassmen rising up.
“We have three remaining seniors, Savana Smith, Julie Smith and Brayden Taylor. Savana is a huge leader on the team and is also an incredibly strong athlete. I believe all of our players are stand out players because this team is not built around one or two players. Everybody is benefitting from each other,” Sale said. “There are three freshmen and one sophomore that moved up to varsity this year and players have had to be leaders and hold their teammates accountable.”
Sale said she is blown away by support in the community and that the team just held a 50/50 fundraiser raffle that will help them cover the cost of most of their gear. She’d like to encourage everyone to come to their first home game, Aug. 16, against Pisgah.