The Winona High School and J.Z. George girls’ volleyball teams will be opening their respective seasons in the coming days.
Here’s a brief look at both teams:
Winona High School
Gunner Nichols is going into his fourth season as head coach of the Lady Tigers. Winona finished 2022 with a 9-11 overall record.
The Lady Tigers compete in District 3-3A with Amanda Elzy, Humphreys County and Yazoo County. The team is comprised of five seniors, two juniors, six sophomores and three freshmen.
“I expect to compete for a district championship to earn a first-round bye and hopefully get our first-ever playoff win as a program,” said Nichols. “We had a great chance last year and came up just short in the second round against Hatley. We return most of that core with playoff experience and the sting of seeing another program earn their first playoff victory against us on our home court. I also expect to improve on the overall win/loss record and to come out on top in a few more of the tightly contested games we lost last season.”
Some of the players Nichols is counting on this fall are Eden Leech, a sophomore setter who has been starting since the seventh grade; Mary Beth Brannon, who has also been starting since seventh grade; Emily Casiday, a freshman who is stepping into a starter’s role this season; and Olivia Swindle, a senior outside hitter.
Winona opens its season Saturday at the Set-It Off Tournament in Jackson against Warren Central. They play at Noxapater Monday.
J.Z. George
Matthew Gardner has stepped in as head coach of the Lady Jaguars, who will open their 2023 season Tuesday at Winona.
Gardner comes to North Carrollton from Grenada High School. J.Z. George will be competing in a new district this season as it is in Region 4-2A with Eupora, Philadelphia, Sebastopol and Union.
Gardner has six seniors, four juniors, four sophomores, two freshmen, one eighth grader and one seventh grader on this year’s squad.
“With limited practice so far, I am not sure who will be our top players, but I’ve seen good potential in several players,” said Gardner. “I expect for our team to work together to improve their skills and be competitive night in and night out. I have a great group of young women who I believe can accomplish great things.”
Following Tuesday’s opener, J.Z. George will play at Holmes County Central on Aug. 14. The Lady Jags play their first home match on Aug. 22 against Yazoo County.
