New players look to propel Advance to second straight district volleyball title

ADVANCE, Mo. - The 2013 Advance Hornets varsity volleyball team will have little room for error if it wants to surpass the win total accumulated by the 2012 squad. The Hornets rarely lost in 2012, finishing 28-5-1. Advance graduated five players off of last season's varsity squad that won a district title and advanced to the Class 1 state quarterfinals...

<i>PROVIDED PHOTO</i><br> Pictured is the 2013 Advance varsity volleyball team. Advance will open its season Aug. 30 when it hosts Meadow Heights.

ADVANCE, Mo. - The 2013 Advance Hornets varsity volleyball team will have little room for error if it wants to surpass the win total accumulated by the 2012 squad.

The Hornets rarely lost in 2012, finishing 28-5-1. Advance graduated five players off of last season's varsity squad that won a district title and advanced to the Class 1 state quarterfinals.

Advance spent the summer prepping from what they hope is another historic season for the program.

The Hornets played in an Osage League at Cape Girardeau during the summer months and also competed at events in Perryville, Dexter and Jackson.

"The girls worked hard this summer and we saw some very good results," Advance coach Dana Below said. "We haven't lost our competitiveness and I'm looking forward to this season."

The Hornets have three seniors - setter Allie Below, outside hitter Ashtyn Hudson and middle hitter Grayson Miles - on the 2013 squad.

Below hopes the team's experienced setter will be a forte that makes other areas of the team stronger.

"I know our setting is going to be strong," Below said. "My senior setter is a third-year returning starter. We've been running a 5-1 with her. The setting kind of links together with other aspects. If our offense or defense isn't strong but the setting is good, that really makes a difference and pulls it all together a little better.

"I would say serving is also a strength," Below added. "Sometimes we miss too many serves, but we are aggressive."

Advance will be tested early in the season. The Hornets open play at the Woodland varsity volleyball tournament next week. Leopold defeated Advance in the championship of the week-long tournament last season.

"It's a competitive tournament that is stronger than usual," Below said. "Woodland and Saxony are stronger and Leopold is always good and we are going to be good. Oak Ridge is also a pretty decent team so I would say the level of play is stronger than usual."

Advance finished a perfect 7-0 in the regular season SCAA standings last season and took second in the SCAA Tournament, dropping the title game to Bernie.

Below expects some of the same teams to be in contention for the SCAA title in 2013.

"I would say this year a lot of the same teams are going to be strong," she said. "Dexter, Bernie, Advance and Woodland should all be competitive. I'm not going to say 'we are going to win it,' but our goal is to get in the championship game."

Advance will compete in a Class 1 district with Leopold, Meadow Heights, St. Vincent, Oak Ridge and Oran at the end of the season. Meadow Heights will host the district.

"It's going to come down to those same three teams from last year," Below said of the district. "The top three teams are strong - Advance, Leopold and St. Vincent. I know St. Vincent had a lot of young talent last year and lost a few seniors, but had a lot of talent coming up in the younger classes. Leopold didn't lose a whole lot and my team lost a lot. But my junior varsity was decently strong so I think the district is competitive again. It's just who plays well and together."

Advance will open its season Friday when it hosts Meadow Heights at 6 p.m.

"I think we'll be ready to play," Below said of Friday's highly anticipated home opener. "The girls are always excited about starting the season and last year when we played Meadow Heights it was almost a blowout so I'm hoping we come out, play big and win by a lot."