Last year they were counted out. Last year they were young and inexperienced. But this year, they’ve announced to their opponents that they are a force to be reckoned with.

The Lady Tigers volleyball team has had success in their preseason and has carried it into district play with a 19-7 record.

“We got first in the silver bracket of our first tournament,” sophomore Olivia Lower said. “We also got second in the gold bracket of the second tournament.”

Last year’s team was relatively young, with many sophomores and juniors. This season, however, they have been able to create an even stronger bond with each other.

“We’ve played a lot more together this past summer and have played a lot better than last year,” junior Treyaunna Rush said. “I think that really got us ready for the season.”

The team has had many impressive wins this season, including a comeback victory over Sulphur Springs who have caused problems for the Lady Tigers in years past. However, they are still looking to improve.

“As a team, we’re watching film and doing certain drills in practice [to get better],” Lower said. “We are working out in the mornings to get down some specifics.”

The team constantly makes adjustments in practice and during games.

“We are working on our communication because we don’t do that well at times,” junior Kaitlyn Cross said. “We really need to play as a team and play for each other, and by doing that we will do well.”

Concentration is a big part of winning the games. When it is lacking, the games are not as easy to win.

“We’ve done well, but we’ve lost games that we shouldn’t have when we don’t focus,” Cross said. “We just need to stay focused on every point and not play down to other teams that don’t have as good of records as us.”

Going into the rest of the season, the team has a positive outlook on post-district play.

“I think we can do really well this year,” Lower said. “Our biggest competitor is going to be Hallsville, but I think we have what it takes go far [in playoffs].”

The Lady Tigers face off against Sulphur Springs at 4:30 Friday in Sulphur Springs.