Sports Editor
On the volleyball court for the Mount Pleasant Lady Tigers, “the little things matter.”
Under the system of new head coach Kristy Ciuba, everything from practice habits to scheduling and all the points that can be controlled within the team matters in a long season.
The Lady Tigers will take on several playoff teams and contenders prior to the start of district play, a plan to prepare them for the race to a hopeful district crown.
“Hopefully, we’ll feel comfortable once we get into the district atmosphere,” she said. “The team will know we’ve played teams just as good or better. They can remind themselves that they’ve been in these types of situations once we’re in the middle of district play.”
The little things even include the bench providing energy, even when they aren’t on the court.
“I am extremely proud of our hustle,” Coach Ciuba said. “Very few balls hit the floor without our girls either following it or getting on the ground to try to get it. A few girls run into each other and you don’t really want to see that, but you’d rather see that than see the ball hit the court and the girls just look at each other. We have a few girls who never stepped off the court and you can’t tell because they hustled all game long.
“Our bench steps up and helped tremendously. I remind them that they’re just as important as the girls on the court. Once they got into it, the energy picked up and it pays off.”
Coach CIuba joins Mount Pleasant after 10 years as an assistant at Wichita Falls Rider. The Lady Raiders in the last 10 years have won 269 games, been to the playoffs 10 times and claimed five district titles.
Mount Pleasant volleyball’s “new” district subtracts one team and receives two to take its place as longtime rival Sulphur Springs drops to 4A. Tyler High and Whitehouse both join the distinct after being potential playoff opponents for the teams of the former 15-5A. Whitehouse finished second in District 16-5A last season and Tyler High finished fourth in the same district. Defending district champion Texas High will be the likely favorite, followed by Marshall, who finished second. Hallsville also went to the playoffs.
The Lady Tigers look to bounce back from a rough season in the newly constituted district. Last season, Mount Pleasant won just two district games, both over Pine Tree.
Mount Pleasant will need to replace a solid senior class that had two players (Ladi Guereca and Genesis Roberson) sign to play volleyball collegiately, but will return two first team all-district players from last season in Aziyah Farrier and Paris Beard.
The Lady Tigers open district play Sept. 9 at Willie Williams Gym against Pine Tree.