It’s a new beginning for the Hartland High School volleyball team.
And the Eagles will be tested in their first Kensington Lakes Activities Association West Division contest when they travel to Pinckney Thursday.
Nicole Conley has taken over the head coaching position from Estelle Lashbrook. Conley has coached volleyball at the eighth-grade level the past three years in Hartland.
“We overhauled the whole system,” Conley said. “But their doing fabulous and working really hard. I want to build the program so all levels understand the aggressive, intense style and we can build on it every year.”
The Eagles have competed in one tournament and one quad match so far. Hartland placed fifth out of 10 teams at its own invitational on Aug. 20 and took third in a quad meet at Northville on Aug. 24.
Hartland lost to Ann Arbor Skyline in a close match, before defeating Livonia Franklin in the quad meet at Northville.
“We’re ready,” said Conley about the match with Pinckney. “It’s been two weeks since our last game. While practice is fun and enlightening, we’re ready for some competition. We’re ready to apply the system in a competitive setting.”
Of the 12 girls on the Hartland team, five are seniors, five are juniors and two are sophomores. Seven of the 12 are returning from last season.
“We’re confident we can play as a team,” said senior captain Jaymie Dyer. “If we play as a team and stay motivated, we’ll do well.”
Last season, Hartland finished 24-13-2 overall and 4-6 in the West, good for fifth. The Eagles tied for fifth in the Lakes Conference tournament. Hartland lost to Milford in the second game of district action.
“It’s difficult to totally relearn everything,” Dyer said. “But I think it’s a good change. It helps us keep moving on the court.”
“Our defense has gotten stronger and we’re confident in that,” added senior captain Hannah Guilford. “The whole team is ready to play an actual game.”
Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of stories that tell the story of fall sports teams at Hartland High School. Here are our past articles in this series: