They have become synonymous with volleyball. The Jacksonville Lady Eagle volleyball program has been so successful over the years that they are both respected and feared in the volleyball ranks. Opposing teams save their best for the Lady Eagles; more often than not to be shot down in their attempt. Opposing coaches spend many a sleepless night when they have to face the Lady Eagles.

For the past two years the Lady Eagles have been on top of it all, back-to-back 4A State Champions. So now the debate opens, can the Lady Eagles make it a three-peat?

Graduating last year was a nucleus of players that were the core of Jacksonville volleyball. Six-foot All-State and State Tournament MVP Elizabeth Neisler will be playing for Samford University.

Neisler was the anchor for the Lady Eagles. Opponents tried everything they could to get away from her tenacious block in the middle. As a middle hitter Neisler could quickly score a point with quick-sets over the middle or a kill to most anywhere on the court.

Also missing will be outside hitter Laura Risse, second team All-State. Risse was a tough hitter to try to block; she was consistent and strong and played well on the back row as well. Risse will be playing this year at Gadsden State.

Leah Bell, libero, also garnered All-State honors. Time and time again she came up with a dig on a ball that seemed certain to be destined to hit the floor. Bell not only got the save but set up a good pass. Bell has moved on to play at the University of West Alabama.

Michelle Doe also started her senior year as a right side hitter and came on very strong. Another senior, Amanda Hall was effective coming off the bench.

With so many seniors gone serious volleyball fans can't help but wonder if there is enough left for the Lady Eagles to win their third straight state title.

There's more than enough. Playing in Neisler's spot in the rotation will be senior Taylor Palmer. When Neisler wasn't on the front row, the Lady Eagles never missed a beat as Taylor's ferocious hits pounded at the opponents. Palmer was named second team All-State and was also named to the state tournament team last year.

Neisler's younger sister, Caroline, also a senior, will be back at her outside hitter position. Caroline, named second team All-State is a solid player anywhere on the court.

Also back at the very important position of setter is senior Megan Cabrer. Cabrer was another named to the All-State team and to the state tournament team.

The two other seniors on the team, Shelby Coffman and Destiny DeRamus are battling it out for libero, the defensive specialist. Both saw some action last year.

Junior Allender Doggett who played back row for Doe in the rotation last year will be playing right side hitter and will play both front and back row.

New to the Lady Eagles starting rotation will be sophomore Haley Jackson who will take on the responsibility of trying to play at middle hitter for the departed Elizabeth Neisler. Sophomore Lana Bell will also be playing as a defensive specialist and junior Emily Torruella will be at outside hitter.

Back again at the helm for the Lady Eagles is Coach David Clark, a man who knows how to win. In his 16th season for Jacksonville, Clark has taken his team to the Elite Eight 13 times. With a quiet soft-spoken approach to coaching the game, Clark knows how to get the best out of his girls and the team delivers.

Last year the Lady Eagles recorded their best season in school history with a 51-3 record. They were ranked No. 1 all season, winning the area championship, 4A Region Championship, and the Calhoun County Championship.

Clark knows that his team will have a target on his back this season but he feels they are up to the challenge. He has been impressed with the way his seniors have stepped up to accept the leadership role. "Caroline and Taylor have really moved themselves to be the ones to lead and take care of things and making sure the younger ones understand the effort that it takes and that we're not going to just walk out there and have it happen again," said Clark.

At team camp this year Clark was impressed with how quickly his team came together. "Camp was a pleasant surprise for me," said Clark. "I didn't know how they were going to mesh but I thought our team chemistry was really good. They got along, they accepted the younger ones coming in and the younger ones accepted the roles I'd given them. It was nice."

Clark says the make-up of this team is not the same and that there will be some differences. "We're not as powerful at the net so we're a little different team. We've got some good attackers but as a whole we're not as strong attacking as we were last year. We'll make up for that in other ways. We're a little bit better defensively and we serve the ball a little bit better than we did last year.

"Nobody can fill Elizabeth's shoes but Haley Jackson will play there and Haley has really come along. It's been a big learning curve for her. With as many different things as we do out of the middle and as much as we rely on the middle it's a big responsibility for a sophomore."

Also on the team for the Lady Eagles are sophomores Morgan Oliver and Nicole Penny. Clark feels that the younger players are going to have to step up and be solid in order for the team to get back to the Elite Eight.

As for the question, how can the Lady Eagles make it a three-peat? Clark replies, "We have to maintain the team chemistry we have now. We have to be very tenacious defensively. We have to play balls people don't think we can play. We have to take away points defensively; we won't take them away with the block like we did last year with Elizabeth and Laura, that's just not there.

"Those that are back are going to have to step-up and do things they didn't have to do last year."

With the Lady Eagles having back-to-back state titles, some worry that they might become complacent, but according to Clark the seniors just won't let that happen.

"The seniors that are out here won't allow complacency. Taylor has played in the last three state finals has won twice and lost once; Caroline is the same way. Allender and Megan have played in all three and they know what it feels like to win and they know what it feels like to lose. These seniors don't want to go out with anything less. There's nothing else to satisfy them. They're not resting on 'we won two' they are thinking 'this is it for me, I don't want to go out with anything less."

Jacksonville opens up their season this weekend at the Capitol City Jubilee in Montgomery, a tournament they won last year. It will be the first step on the road back to the Elite Eight.