Program brings playoff tested team for 2015

By David Jenkins

Staff Writer

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Experience will be on the Lady Panthers side during the coming 2015 campaign.

Back in the mix are juniors Setter of the Year BriAna Lacey (setter), co-Offensive Most Valuable Player Shelbi Cook (middle blocker), Astraea Wayman (outside hitter) and Sara Wood (middle blocker), seniors Raygan Cook (outside hitter), Jayla Williams (outside hitter-middle blocker), Lindsey Tarby and Ali Saldivar (both defensive specialist).

“I think this group has an advantage over a lot of the teams we will be facing. They have been playing together for the last two years, some longer than that, and they know how to read each other,” head coach Randi Trew said. “They really seem to be in sync. Where most teams have to fill holes and figure out whom to put where, we are just reloading. It’s a pretty good feeling to have going into August.”

Princeton came up just short of making the playoffs for a second straight season in 2014.

They fell 25-17, 15-25, 23-25, 25-20, 10-15 to Quinlan Ford in a fourth place tiebreaker in District 12-4A.

Both were tied at 3-7.

This years group will look to return to the playoffs, as they will compete for the final time in 12-4A.

“We are really looking forward to this season,” Trew said. “We have a roster of veterans and are excited to see what they produce on the court together.”

In that grouping are regional semifinalist Melissa, area finalists Quinlan Ford, Bonham and Community, and Anna.

Princeton predistrict slate will feature several tough challenges before the start of the second half.

“We don’t try and do ourselves any favors with our schedule. The schedule challenges us each night and that’s what we want,” Trew said. “We don’t have any “gimme games”. We will have to work every match, and that’s what is going to carry us into November.”

The opened the season Aug. 11 with Callisburg and play hosts Friday and Saturday to the Golden Chick Classic.

Road matches are against Sunnyvale (Aug. 25), Farmersville (Sept. 4), Van Alstyne (Sept. 8) and Aubrey (Sept. 18).

Home games are versus Sadler S&S Consolidated (Sept. 1), Krum (Sept. 11) and Celina (Sept. 18).

They will also travel to Farmersville (Aug. 21-22) and Lubbock Frenship (Aug. 27-29) for tournaments.

Games in the first half of 12-4A are at Bonham (Sept. 25) and Community (Sept. 29), with Melissa (Oct. 2) and Anna (Oct. 6), and at Quinlan Ford (Oct. 9).

Second half games are with Bonham (Oct. 13 on Dig Pink Night) and Community (Oct. 16), at Melissa (Oct. 20) and Anna (Oct. 23), and with Quinlan Ford (Oct. 27 on Senior Night).