With six returning players and a challenging non-district schedule behind them, the Quitman Lady Bulldogs are hoping experience pays off when district volleyball play gets underway.
Head coach Archie Thompson believes this year’s squad is further along than it was a season ago, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
“I think we’re a little bit more experienced this year, and I think our biggest strength is going to be our defense,” Thompson said.
Most of those returning players are juniors and seniors, giving Thompson a veteran group to lean on as Quitman works toward its goal of getting back into the postseason.
Among the returners Thompson expects to lead the way are Erin Vander Schaaf, Addison Sapp, Autumn Cason and Kaylin Sapp.
Isabella Crockett Garza and Payton Spears are two younger players Thompson expects to contribute as the season moves along.
The Lady Bulldogs already experienced plenty of court time in August. Thompson estimated Quitman had played somewhere around 18 to 20 matches at the time of the interview, with about seven wins.
The record may not jump off the page, but Thompson said there is a reason for it. Quitman has spent much of the preseason facing strong competition, including state-ranked opponents and teams from larger classifications.
“On the preseason, our record doesn’t really look that well, but we played a lot of state-ranked teams so far, and a lot of bigger schools,” Thompson said.
That schedule has given Thompson plenty of opportunities to see what his team does well and where it still has work to do.
Defense has been the most consistent part of Quitman’s game so far.
The Lady Bulldogs have players who can contribute on both the front and back rows, but Thompson said the team’s back-row defense has been particularly strong.
Finding more consistency on offense is the next step.
“I would say offensively we struggle a little bit, but we’re we kind of finding our groove,” Thompson said.
A big part of that improvement will come down to serve receive.
Thompson sees that first contact as the key to giving Quitman better opportunities to run its offense, and it has been one of the Lady Bulldogs’ biggest areas of emphasis during the preseason.
Quitman went 17-21 overall and 4-8 in district play last season, finishing fifth in the district standings. That was an improvement from Thompson’s first season in 2024, when the Lady Bulldogs finished 14-20 overall and 3-9 in district.
Now, with another year of experience and a veteran core back on the floor, Quitman will try to take another step forward.
The Lady Bulldogs will have one more non-district tuneup when they host Alba-Golden before turning their attention to district play.
And after spending August taking on tough competition, Thompson has a simple measure for what would make this season a successful one.
“I think with this group, a successful season will be making it to the playoffs,” Thompson said.