Published: August 07, 2008 09:45 am      

Setting up the season

Try-outs for Lady Rattlers draw big numbers

San Marcos — Coaches, no matter the sport, love options. Football coaches enjoy the variety of plays, while baseball managers like being able to go deep down their bench for a substitute.

Therefore, there shouldn’t be a doubt why San Marcos head volleyball coach Michelle Moreno is thrilled to have 62 girls trying out for three teams.

“We have a lot of girls out here wanting to play Rattler volleyball and that’s really exciting,” Moreno said. “Having the numbers also gives us the chances to put the right people in the right positions.”

Try-outs were held for three days, spanning from Monday to Wednesday, when final cuts were made. In order to each the final tally, Moreno needed to release about 10 girls, judging on how large her rosters could be.

Competition during the two-a-day sessions was fierce, as the end of practice featured intrasquad scrimmages. It gave Moreno and her coaching staff a better look at where certain players could fit with the team. Last season, San Marcos relied on Jillian Wolpman, a senior middle blocker to help guide the team. This season, the Lady Rattlers have a different mindset.

“Our strengths are a little scattered right now, which is a good thing,” Moreno said. “If I had to pick one, it would be a hard decision. It’s a little spread out right now, which gives us more options to know we don’t just have a middle blocker.”

San Marcos returns six players from last season’s team that went 16-21. The Lady Rattlers won six out of 14 games in District 25-5A, including the finale against Austin Anderson.

Since the realignment moved San Marcos to a new district, as well as a new class, Moreno is getting her team geared up early. The Lady Rattlers spent several hours during the first tryout day to work solely on conditioning.

“You can see who’s pushing themselves,” Moreno said. “You can see who’s been working out all summer, because their up in the front. We can tell a lot. Their endurance, speed and agility, as well as their character.”

San Marcos doesn’t have long following the final tryout day to get ready for the season. The Lady Rattlers begin scrimmaging on Friday when they travel to play Wimberley. There’s not much rest for the team as it gets up the next morning to battle San Antonio-Reagan.

“That’s why it’s so intense and having to do as much as we can to watch everybody and make sure we’re taking the kids who deserve to be up there,” Moreno said. “Scrimmages help us iron out some things before our first match on Tuesday against Pflugerville-Connally and Regents.”

Moreno would like nothing more to start the season 2-0, and the way she’s conditioning her team, her players should be ready.