“We have pretty high expectations for this season,” said Smith, who guided the Lady Lions to a 12-9 mark in 2020, second-place finish in District 6-4A and a bi-district championship. “We have seven seniors and six of them have been starters for me at one point. We have some good juniors coming in to help fill in that roster, even sophomores. They’re excited and I’m excited.”
The senior leadership, and playing together now for their third season in Smith’s system, rank among the reasons the head coach is looking so forward to the 2021 campaign.
“Our strength is the fact that these seniors have played together for so long and they have a lot of good chemistry coming into this season.,” Smith said. “That can still build and get better and that’s what I’m really emphasizing. Obviously I think that we have a very good defense because we’ve stressed that the three years I’ve been here. As long as they continue to build on that chemistry through all of the obstacles they have to face there’s really nothing that’s going to stop them.”
Among the players to watch for the Lady Lions are returnees Jaylen Savage, Olivia Fowler, Tessa Goodwin, Kylie Morris, Kassidy Wooten, Kylie Wooten, Ashlyn Harris, and Gracie Boswell, along with varsity newcomer Jordan Northcutt.
“I could list everybody on the roster,” Smith said with a smile.
Following Tuesday’s dual match in Wall, Brownwood’s pre-district schedule includes the home opener Aug. 17 against San Angelo Central followed by back-to-back tournament appearances in Glen Rose and Argyle. The Lady Lions will also square off with Clyde, Godley, Midland Christian, Jim Ned, Granbury, Miles and Burnet before the start of District 6-4A competition.
“I just want to see how they can come together and get through our pre-district,” Smith said of her goals for the Lady Lions prior to league play. “I’ve set up our pre-district pretty hard. We’re going to Argyle for a tournament and that’s the district we’d face in the second round of the playoffs. I want to see them and how we face up to them early on in the year and how we can adjust from there. My priority is obviously one game a time, focusing on pre-district then getting into district and making the playoffs. But the more we can see from who we will be facing early on in the playoffs the better prepared they will be. It’s going to be tough, they’re going to have some adversity and they’re going to have to band together and decide they’re going to do everything it takes to win.”
On Sept. 24, the Lady Lions host reigning 6-4A champion Stephenville in the district opener while Glen Rose, Gatesville and Lampasas are again on the league slate.
“I see Stephenville being our biggest challenge,” Smith said regarding her outlook on the district race. “Glen Rose is always a hard, scrappy team. Gatesville is a scrappy team as well. Last year we didn’t do very well in the second round of district. We set ourselves up going undefeated in the first round and then coming off that high of winning against Stephenville, it’s like the team was satisfied and let its guard down and let it slip through their hands. Hopefully this year the returners have learned from that and will teach the younger girls coming in and make sure we don’t lose focus and keep it one game at a time. We have to do the job against everybody.”
Asked how good the 2021 edition of the Lady Lions can be, Smith said, “I think they can be just as great if not better than that 2008 team that went to state. From what I’ve seen out of these girls individually and as a team, I’ve got really great leaders. They have to decide to go play to their potential every single game and never settle – have the confidence that they are as good as they know they are. If they just pursue that every single game, every single ball, never settle and never be satisfied, there’s no stopping them.”
BROWNWOOD LADY LIONS
VARSITY VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 10 at Wall/Monahans, 10 a.m.
Aug. 17 San Angelo Central, 6 p.m.
Aug. 20-21 at Glen Rose tournament, TBA
Aug. 27-28 at Argyle tournament, TBA
Aug. 31 at Clyde, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 3 at Godley, 6 p.m.
Sept. 7 Midland Christian, 6 p.m.
Sept. 10 Jim Ned, 6 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Granbury, TBA
Sept. 17 Miles, 6 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Burnet, 6 p.m.
Sept. 24 Stephenville*, TBA
Sept. 28 at Gatesville*, TBA
Oct. 1 Lampasas*, TBA
Oct. 5 OFF
Oct. 8 at Glen Rose*, TBA
Oct. 12 at Stephenville*, TBA
Oct. 15 Gatesville*, TBA
Oct. 19 at Lampasas*, TBA
Oct. 22 OFF
Oct. 26 Glen Rose*, TBA
* District 6-4A Game