The Rattlers hit the volleyball courts this week for two-a-day practices in preparation for the upcoming 2024 season.
With a number of players returning back from last year’s playoff-qualifying team, Head Coach Megann Ollett is excited for the Rattlers to get back on the court.
“We have ten returners back from last year,” Ollett said. “It is exciting to have a majority back that know the flow, all like each other and get along.” Having 10 returners back from last year’s team and their experience on the volleyball court, Ollett is ready to test the team through a tough non-district schedule featuring Pflugerville Weiss, Hutto, Odessa, San Antonio Reagan, Austin High, Austin Anderson and St. Michael’s Academy.
“It’s nice because [the players] know what it takes,” Ollett said “They know the expectations and they are hungry to take the next step. We have a more difficult [non-district] this year, but they are excited with the schedule. If they learn how to compete and work hard, [they will know] what that can [mean] later. They are looking at the long term picture rather than the short.”
One of the reasons for scheduling a tougher non-district schedule is to prepare the Rattlers on where they need to improve in order to take the next step of progression as a team.
“They need to see the next stage of what they need to go to,” Ollett said. “This is all the competition that is out there, and you need to compete against them. We need to see what is happening out there for them to digest, ‘Hey, if we can beat them, then this is the next step’. Some of it is for the younger kids to see what varsity volleyball looks like and get them to buy into what helps you in volleyball.”
The district schedule will also be challenging as well with additions of New Braunfels Canyon and Buda Johnson while dropping New Braunfels.
While Ollett is happy with an extra set of district games, the district schedule, which is compared to competing in the Thunderdome, means every game will not be an easy out.
“It’s nice to have an extra team, so we now have 12 district games,” Ollett said. “It elongates the season a little bit. It is also exciting that we have an even district across the board. In our district, anyone can win on a given night and vice versa. There is no one to overlook and no one where you can just show up and beat them.”
After finishing in fourth place for the past two seasons, a key to the Rattlers finishing higher in the district standings come playoffs will be maintaining consistent play.
“We need to work on playing consistently at a high level,” Ollett said. “We cannot get complacent and we must push everything to that next step.”
San Marcos will scrimmage in Wimberley this Saturday before the Rattlers season opener against Pflugerville Weiss on Monday.
Going into their scrimmages, Ollett wants to see where the Rattlers stand against local competition. “From the scrimmages, I want to see where we are,” Ollett said. “We ended last season strong against Brandeis in my opinion. So now it’s where we fall from there to take that next step and build to the next level.”
San Marcos’ scrimmage at Wimberley on Saturday will start at 9 a.m. and will last till 1 p.m.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
