Last year the Pleasant Valley Lady Raiders made it to the Elite Eight State Volleyball Finals at Pelham, only to be seeded against Bayside Academy in their opening game. Bayside had won the state championship seven straight times, and beat Pleasant Valley in three games to eliminate them from the tournament.

Bayside Academy went on to win their eighth volleyball championship.

This year, head coach Dana Bryant wants her team to once again go back to the state tournament, a feat they have accomplished every year but one since Bryant took over as head coach four years ago. However, this year the goal that the Lady Raiders have set is not to just make it back to Pelham, but to make it to the finals.

Despite losing outside hitter Whitney Glass and defensive specialist Jessica Glass to graduation, Bryant feels that her team has a great chance to accomplish their goals.

Returning for the Lady Raiders are outside hitter Jessie Kate Stewart and setter Ashley Bryant, both first team all-state selections.

All-State honorable mentions hitters Payton Lewis and Jessica Boozer also return for the Lady Raiders.

Senior Morgan Smith returns on the back row as libero, with Amber Pruitt and Sierra Langley helping out on back row duties.

Jordan Luttrell returns at middle hitter and Megan Strickland has replaced Whitney Glass on the front row.

Bryant added three freshmen to the squad this year; Hannah Stewart, Destiney Spears and Saydie Marshall. Junior Amy Hardy rounds out the squad.

Pleasant Valley started out the season on a 5-0 roll until they met up with Jacksonville who gave them their first loss of the season.

The Lady Raiders gave the Lady Eagles all they could handle, beating them in the first game of the match before losing the next two. Pleasant Valley looked like a team that was destined to make it to Pelham the way they played Jacksonville in the first game.

Bryant feels that once the Lady Raiders can overcome their inexperience and get over the mental aspects of their game they will be tough to compete against. “We have a mixture of experience with a very young group,” says Bryant. “We are trying to mesh the two and there is a lot of learning, a lot of overcoming.

“You have seen what they can do; (in the match with Jacksonville) what they are capable of and what can happen. It’s all mental. That’s the inexperience with the young group coming out.”

Bryant says that the focus this year is, “to have a solid, consistent team. I’ve seen them pull together and play as a team. If we can just do that it gives me an inside, a vision of what they can do. It’s just expecting that and them expecting it out of themselves each and every game.”

The Lady Raiders spent the summer at a defensive camp run by former Pleasant Valley Coach, the legendary Sandy Hunter, went to a team camp and a play date at West Morgan.

Pleasant Valley started out the year by winning the Saks tournament with wins over Springville, Donoho, Wellborn, Saks and Gaston.

The Lady Raiders will have to fight their way through a tough area with Sand Rock, Westend and Westbrook.