Jul 30, 2010
2009 volleyball season has Lady 'Stangs young and restless
August 11, 2009
FRIENDSWOOD — Head coach Jerry Linch enters his sixth season at the helm of the Friendswood volleyball program and his teams have never missed the playoffs. Friendswood won the district and regional championships in 2006 and 2007 to advance to the Class 4A state volleyball tournament. The Lady Mustangs lost in the semifinals in 2006 and advanced to the state finals in 2007.
Last season in 2008, Friendswood came up short for a third straight trip to the state tournament, but still finished with a 34-11 mark while advancing to the 4A Region III semifinals.
There were six players who were lost to graduation from last year's team. Linch will see his starting lineup include only one senior while 10 of his girls are underclassmen.
To top it off - Linch has a non-district schedule that pits his girls against the top 5A teams in the state with state semifinalist Clear Creek as one of those teams.
"You have to throw them to the fire," Linch said. "That's how you get young kids ready for district competition and the playoffs. Hopefully it works."
That philosophy has worked in the past and it should work again this season.
Linch will look to senior Sarrah Wooley, junior Siobhan O'Neill, senior Jasmine Casey, and sophomore Kaelan O'Neill as some of his team leaders.
Friendswood will travel to face Barbers Hill on Friday, August 14 at 6:30 p.m. They will travel to Clear Brook on Tuesday, August 18 at 6:30 p.m. Clear Creek will come to Friendswood on Tuesday, August 25 at 6:30 p.m.
The Lady Stangs will compete in the highly talented Pearland Varsity Tournament on August 27-29.