Grace Christian Academy hosted volleyball tryouts Monday, where 19 girls attended ready to spike the competition. Following tryouts, a complete roster for both Varsity and JV was made and the girls began practice for their first match on Friday.

Coach Mardi McRae feels confident in the team this year. She said they are basically returning last year’s team, because Abby Mills was their only player graduating. This year’s team has three seniors, Kate McRae, Caroline Wells and Avery Andrews, who will all serve as co-captains. In addition to the returning players and seniors, McRae said they have five new freshmen who are eager to get out on the court.

While McRae feels confident in what the players have to offer, she knows the competition will be stiff this year, especially with the new elements added onto the schedule.

McRae believes Georgia Christian will still be the toughest competition in the region, but this season the team will also play at districts.

“Where as you used to go from region to state, you will now go from region to districts to state,” McRae explained.

One of the key teams that will be a tough match in the district is Veritas from Savannah.

“It’s going to be tough,” she said. “They are a club team and play year round.”

McRae said the girls have faced off against Veritas before when they compete at the Golden Isles tournament in Brunswick, and Veritas usually win. However, McRae knows they did graduate some players and is hoping that with the Cougars’ senior leadership and experience they can take that title this year.

“We have some athletes,” she said. “We have an advantage.”

The co-captains have already displayed leadership off the court, when they ran tryouts yesterday while the coaches took notes. McRae knows they can lead the team to a victory. She is sure the team can make it out of districts victoriously, if she can convince them to believe in themselves and believe in the process. She hopes to make it further than the Elite Eight this year, and take home a state win.

She invites everyone to come watch the team at their home and away matches. However, the first home match won’t be until Friday, September 6 at 6 p.m.