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SM’s volleyball practice will start Monday with new coach
A new coach will be at the helm when Smoky Mountain’s volleyball team opens practice Monday, Aug. 7, at the school gym.
Ken Walker, a Fairview physical education teacher and former high school coach in Alabama, has taken over the program.
The initial practice will be for all players in grades 9-12. The time had not been set at the Herald sports deadline.
Ken Walker, Smoky Mountain’s new volleyball coach, talks with Lady Mustang juniors from left, Brittany Gilbert, Megan Taylor and Brittany Haskett during a recent workout session. SM will open practice Monday at the school gym. – Herald photo by Samantha Blanton
Walker conducted four optional conditioning and skill development sessions last week.
“I’ve seen a lot of hustle,” he said. “The girls are really trying hard. I don’t think effort is going to be a problem. We’ve had good turnouts with it being optional.”
He noted some of the varsity players were out of town last week and unable to attend the sessions.
“From what I’ve seen, we have some upperclassmen who are going to help us,” Walker said. “We’ve had a good mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen.”
Some 15 players are attending a camp this week at UNC-Asheville.
“The camp will give me a chance to see where we are,” Walker said. “I can take a step back and look at things.”
Walker inherits a team that went 5-17 a year ago and finished fifth in the six-team Western Athletic Conference.
The WAC includes perennial state power West Henderson, but Walker is not concerned about the opposition right now.
“We just have to worry about what we’re doing and not what the other teams are doing,” he said.
Heading the returnees is all-conference senior setter Sarah Haggard. Also back from last year are seniors Amy Haggard and Kelli Woodard and juniors Brittany Gilbert, Cassie Randall and LeNay Shular.
The Lady Mustangs will hold multi-team scrimmages Aug. 12 at Franklin and Aug. 19 at Enka before opening the regular season Aug. 22 at Tuscola. The first home match is Aug. 24 against Franklin.
The schedule is as follows:
Aug. 22 – at Tuscola; 24 – Franklin; 28 – Murphy; 29 – Enka.
Sept. 6 – at Murphy; 9 – at Swain; 11 – North Buncombe; 12 – at Franklin; 14 – Brevard; 18 – Tuscola; 19 – East Henderson; 21 – at North Henderson; 25 – Swain; 26 – West Henderson; 28 – at Pisgah.
Oct. 3 – at Brevard, 5 – at East Henderson; 10 – North Henderson; 12 – at West Henderson; 17 – Pisgah.
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