Angie Lucas has a special feeling about her Seymour volleyball team.

“We’re really excited about this group,” the veteran coach said. “We’ve been waiting a couple of years to see them advance and develop as players. It’s been a fun, fun summer and a fun, fun pre-season so far.”

Seniors on the roster are Abby Followell, Kenzie Gagner, Greer Henry, Emerson Johnson and Claire Urbanski. Making up the juniors are Maggie Braman, Jamie Bobb, Norah Campbell, Anna Fish, Kennady Hardman, Abby Otte, and Zoe Williams.

Henry started varsity as a sophomore but missed her junior season while recovering from a knee injury.

“She adds a lot to our core. She is back and looking really great,” Lucas said. “She is going to help us a lot on the outside. Anna is going to help us with strong play at the net on the left side, and Emerson is going to help us in the middle.”

Campbell will fill the libero role this fall after being a setter last season.

“We have Maggie Braman and Jamie Bobb back,” Lucas said. “These are junior kids, and these juniors are really strong players. Braman is going to set, which is a new role for her, and Bobb is a DS (defensive specialist). Abby Otte will be our other setter and may play in the front row as well.

“Abby Followell is back that is really going to help us in the back row, and Kenzie Gagner is a new player, who didn’t play last year but is returning to us as a senior. Claire Urbanski had a knee injury last year, and she is back and brings quickness to the court. Zoe Williams is back. She is going to play middle for us.

“It is just really exciting to see the group of girls that we have. Not only are they talented on the floor, but they have such strong cohesiveness. It’s a little bit different looking team for us. We’re quicker, but we are just really all in and they all play together.”

Lucas spoke about the depth of the Owls and how it adds to the competition at practice.

“It really causes a competitive atmosphere on practice. They are trying to get a position on the court, so it’s cool to have that in this gym because we haven’t had that in a while.

“That’s what makes them so unique, because they are fighting for a position. But yet they are very cohesive, so they support one-another, and they’re happy for one-another. “

Henry said she is eagerly looking forward to her senior year after getting to play club volleyball this spring and summer. She will play with a leg brace on her right knee.

“I’ll be an outside hitter, and I will play all-around,” she said. “Communication is a big part of my game, not just my skill but my leadership. I feel that is the most important part.”

She said she feels like she has good jumping ability and good lateral movement despite her setback.

“I’m looking forward to competing with my teammates, so I feel that year off was a good mental journey for me. Coming back, I think we’re going to be so close as a team, so we have a great bond together. I’m really interested to see what we can do this year.

“I love volleyball, I love it here, love this program and I love my teammates.”

Johnson is one of the tallest members of the team at 5-9.

“I play middle,” she said. “I like that I’m in the middle every play so I’m either at the net blocking or I’m going back for a kill. I think that is a big responsibility, and I’m glad I’m in that position.”

She said it is important to get off to a good start every match.

“Eighty percent of the teams that win the first 10 points win the first set. That is really big for us. By winning the first set, our confidence is automatically higher, and we go into the second set with the same morale, and we don’t let down. “I think a really good part about our program is we don’t let down. I love our team chemistry because we all get along, and I know in past years that has sort of been a problem for us. None of us have any bad blood against each other.

“We’re all super close, and we all play really well together. We have a bunch of people going in different positions than they were in last year, but we’re all adjusting to them really well.

“I think this season is going to be super good. I think this program shapes us not just as volleyball players, but as good people in general.”

When asked about strengths of this team Lucas said, “I would say back row first contact is going to be one of our strong points. We have all these strong, back-row players this year, so our first contact looks really good.”

Lucas said the offense at the beginning of the season may look a little rough. “If we can get that moving in the right direction, this team has capabilities of doing some really great stuff toward the end of the season.

“Our defense should be very good. We need to work on our net game. We always need to work on that, especially blocking, and that’s what we’ve been focusing on a lot here this week, blocking and getting our timing down.”

Lucas, beginning her 30th year as head coach of the Lady Owls, said it is nice to be in an air-conditioned gym. “Our practices have been very good,” she said.

The Owls will scrimmage at Scottsburg tomorrow night and open their regular season on Saturday morning at home against Jeffersonville.