Lady Warriors showing up for open gym workouts

The numbers are good headed into the 2024 volleyball season. Still, Socorro is in rebuilding mode after graduation wiped out the Lady Warriors roster, leaving the team with just one senior this year.

For second-year head coach Jaden Jones, it's almost a repeat of last year with lots of new faces, and she's taking it all in stride.

"I'm excited to see all the new faces. There's a fresh atmosphere. They've all come willing to work and ready to be coachable." Jones said. "Summer practice is helping them find their paths, they're hitting their shots, and they all listen really well. I think it's going to be like a fresh start."

High school players were in a two-day camp this week, and the Lady Warriors will host a youth volleyball camp July 22-23. The camp will be a chance to help younger players and reinforce the skills they are learning during practice.

It's also a wake-up call for varsity players who will find out how much younger players look up to them, and it's another building block Jones is using to construct her program.

"We're hoping to start players younger. That way, when a kid sees a player at a local store or around town, they're excited and will be saying oh, my gosh, or seeing them at the game. So hopefully, we can start them younger and keep building," Jones said.

The volleyball season is about six weeks away, and the Lady Warriors will have two matches under their belts before they play at home against Cottonwood Classical Prep on Aug. 24.

Jones has worked toward fewer breaks in the schedule, and Socorro will only play in one tournament after participating in three last season. Part of the changes are logistics and the need to work on a young team's confidence over the long run.

"Right now, we're working on discipline, showing up on time, and working hard," Jones said. "That's all I ask for. You come in here, and you work hard. You're spending your time, and we're spending our time to get better."

When it comes to physical skills, Jones is taking open gym one day at a time.

"For the first couple of weeks, we want to go over skills. Sharpen up our hitting and our passing, and work on our serves. Later, we will look at roles and put the girls working together at the same levels," Jone said.