Step by Step

R usk High School Volleyball Head Coach Doug Jackson realizes

PHOTO: QUINTEN BOYD The Rusk Lady Eagle volleyball team seniors hope to improve the team's record and make the playoffs in their final season. From left are Jasmine Harris, Maci Choate, Kara Milligan and Charnell Franklin. that the road to success consists of many steps. The Lady Eagles, who finished winless in district play at 0-8 last season, turn the page from last season to their current season, hoping to stay on the road to success for as long as possible.

"The team seems to be motivated to become the best that they can be," Coach Jackson said. "I've asked the team to be patient and told them that small steps are better than big steps right now. The team understands our goals and the steps that we must take."

Several of those goals are currently known only to Coach Jackson and his players.

"Some of our goals, we're going to keep within our family," he said. "One of the steps is to develop trust between each other, the coaches and the overall program. As far as the technical aspect of the game, they're still learning the offense and defense and how to play within a very disciplined manner.

PHOTO: QUINTEN BOYD Rusk High School head volleyball coach Doug Jackson serves to his team during practice. The Lady Eagles are 0-2 after a loss against Levertt's Chapel on Aug. 16. "Once we accomplish these goals, as simplistic as they may seem, we can start working on the next set of goals which have been discussed with the team."

To this aim, Coach Jackson institutes closed practices from time to time. While not all practices are closed, he admits that some are in order to concentrate on the changes he and his team hope to make.

"We have so much that we as a team want to accomplish that we need total concentration on what is at hand," he said. "We do have open scrimmage times that parents, students or whomever are more than welcome to come watch, but those closed practices are more for concentration on what we want to accomplish this season."

Those closed practices are just that: closed off from all outside interference.

"A young lady had her cell phone go off in a practice," Coach Jackson said. "I just stopped what we were doing, walked over to her phone and answered it. Of course, I took the message for her, but that young man hasn't called back since. Ever since then, cell phones have not been a problem."

Realistic and optimistic

Despite last year's record, one only has to look at the schedule to see just how much the culture has changed for Rusk's volleyball team. At the bottom of the printed schedule in capital letters are the words: "PLAYOFFS START 10/30/08." The goal is the same throughout the team.

"We want to go to the playoffs this year," said senior Jazmine Harris. "We want to win more in district but we definitely want to go to the playoffs."

Coach Jackson admits that he believes in being realistic and optimistic at the same time, and his team has noticed the subtle changes.

"Last season, we didn't play together well," said senior Maci Choate. "There was a lack of confidence. This year, everyone is getting along."

Excited about possibilities

The Lady Eagles are 0-2 on the young season, falling to Grace Community and Levertt's Chapel.

Against Grace Community, the Lady Eagles fell, 4-1, winning the second set 25-18 but losing sets one, three and four: 7-25, 13-25 and 17-25. Callie Jackson led the team in aces with five. Charnell Franklin had seven kills and two blocks for the game. Choate led the team with 11 digs and Harris had 12 assists.

The Lady Eagles won the first set against Levertt's Chapel, 25-18, but lost the next three 25-17, 25-18 and 25-16. Kristen Hicks had eight aces. Franklin had eight kills and Harris had 11 digs and 15 assists.

Coach Jackson didn't have to search too hard to find positives in the two games.

"We're beginning to play disciplined volleyball," Coach Jackson said. "For this game (Levertt's Chapel), our serving was probably an A and our blocking was much improved."

The first two games of the season allowed Coach Jackson to see just how far the steps of his Lady Eagle team have taken them thus far.

"Our attacks were a 100 percent improvement over the Grace game," he said. "We still need to omit mental position errors. I told the girls that if you miss a ball or if you hit it out of bounds, that's an understandable mistake. There are some positional mental mistakes that we need to diminish."

Despite the losses, the Lady Eagles' play in the last two games has Coach Jackson optimistic for the rest of the season.

"We were in contention in both games and both went four sets," he said. "Comments that other coaches, players and the administration have given us have been very positive and we feel that we're moving in the right direction.

"We all feel we made tremendous improvements. We're excited about the possibilities this season and look forward to the challenges ahead."

The Lady Eagles will play in the Leon Tournament Aug. 22-23.