The GHSA’s second dead week ended on Monday, and the Volley Hounds wasted no time making their way to the JCHS Gymnasium for the next step of their offseason work.
Taking up the entire gym and using two separate courts, the Lady Greyhounds began a week ahead of a stretch that will also include a team camp at Mercer in the coming days.
“That’ll give us a lot of team building and help us get ready for the season,” Lady Hounds head coach Lonnie Wheeler said.
This part of the season is critical for Jones County with the season starting in early August. In fact, Aug. 1 is the first day of official practices that are permitted with games able to be played as early as Aug. 8. It is also the portion of the summer in which the Lady Hounds get to maximize the most time in the gym as the basketball teams use the facility for a good part of their summer during most of June.
JCHS is aiming to take a step forward this year. Graduating one senior from last year, the Lady Hounds will be entering their third year as a program. As a result of that, they’ll have a roster of players that has some netters with a minimum of two years of experience, a valuable asset when going up against more seasoned teams.
Jones County, which got its first match win in school history last year, will be looking at a first region win as one of its next steps as a program. But perhaps more important is the amount of interest that has been evident all summer long, a sign of the enthusiasm during optional summer workouts. On Monday morning, JCHS took to the court with an excess of 30 players taking part.
“Volleyball is pretty popular this year,” Wheeler said. “It’s part of what we’ve been trying to build from last year to help build the culture more.”
