The Boaz High School Lady Pirates volleyball team is gearing up for what could be a very successful season as they finish their first week of summer play. The Pirates took part in their first summer play date last week with four matches against White Plains, Scottsboro, Randolph and Buckhorn where they won three of four in two sets.
The Pirates returned on Friday for another round of games, this time including area rival Sardis along with Geraldine, Sand Rock and Glencoe where they again came out on top in all of their games.
“We were able to reflect on what we needed to be able to do to beat more competitive teams,” Pirates head coach Shyna Cahill said. “We got back in the gym the next day and started working on what we needed. Randolph and White Plains are teams we wouldn’t normally play but that’s what I like about play dates you get to see a lot of new teams. We did get to play Sardis though, who I expect will be our big area matchup this season.”
Last season the Pirates were able to win their area but ultimately fell in the regionals, but the bulk of that team is back on the court this year as the Pirates come into the 2025 season with a big roster of upperclassmen. Of their fifteen players six of them are seniors, joined by seven juniors and two sophomores.
Senior Emma Hawkins and junior Breanna Gentry are back as middle hitters, backed up by junior Caroline Cofield on the right side. At setter are senior Emma Jones and junior Caroline Aaron, a transfer from Albertville.
“I feel like if I talk about one I have to talk about all fifteen because even though we have so many on the roster they all have skills and strengths worth mentioning,” Cahill said. “I think the biggest thing is that everyone is just all in for this team right now and that’s going to get us where we need to be by the time the season starts, and definitely by the time it finishes.”
The Pirates currently have two more summer play dates on the schedule with one taking place at Gadsden State College today and another at Geraldine High School on Thursday. They will need to get in all the practice they can before the season kicks off on August 21 with two tough matchups against Guntersville and Hayden.
They will go on the road for their next two game days starting with a tournament at Geraldine on August 23, followed by another tri-match with Oneonta and Fort Payne that following Tuesday. The Pirates will finally get started with area play on August 28, returning home to take on Sardis along with Albertville. In the meantime Cahill preaches to her squad that they want to come away from every match and practice having improved in some way.
“Every time we meet something has to be better than last time,” she said. “Whether it’s sending one less free ball or just making sure we’re utilizing our serve and receive. Whether it’s an individual goal or a team goal as long as one thing is going up we’re meeting the goal of the summer and when the season starts we’ll have perfected the things we were already good at and made the things we weren’t so good at even better.”
The Pirates will be in action at home on Thursday, August 21, starting off against the Guntersville Wildcats at 4 pm. They will resume later that night and square off with the Hayden Wildcats at 6 pm.