Priceville wants to remain on top after jump to 4A

By Staff
Justin Schuver, Hartselle Enquirer
A year after winning its area tournament, Priceville now has to deal with a new coach, a new classification and replacing five key seniors lost to graduation. But rookie coach Bob Eubanks isn’t about to let his players make excuses.
Eubanks has not coached volleyball since 1982, although he has been a coach at Priceville in numerous other sports as a member of the softball and basketball coaching staffs. He is familiar with several volleyball players who also play softball or basketball, but is still trying to learn the ropes of coaching volleyball. He has only officially been the head coach for about three weeks.
Eubanks has the luxury of coaching a team that is loaded with upperclassmen. The Lady Bulldogs will have six seniors and five juniors with just one sophomore in Skyller Baker. Priceville will have to replace the contributions of five seniors who graduated in May — Tiffany Bracken, Stephanie Hardiman, Tara Heard, Savannah Livingston and Telia Black.
Senior Whitney Prince is expected to start at libero for the Lady Bulldogs. Setters will be Baker, junior Adrianna Delatorre and senior Caitlin Williams. Seniors Ashley Young and Sumer Boyd and juniors Brittany Bracken and Sumer Boyd will be in the rotation for outside hitter. The middle hitter rotation will be seniors Meagan Harper, Shannon Johnson and Brittney Shelton and junior Meagan Lancaster.
Priceville is making the jump from Class 2A to Class 4A in 2006, and with that jump comes a completely unfamiliar list of area opponents. The Lady Bulldogs will participate in an area with Lawrence County, East Lawrence and Fairview.
Included on Priceville’s non-area docket are matches against Class 6A Austin, Class 5A Decatur and Hartselle and Class 3A power programs Madison Academy and Danville. The Lady Bulldogs will also face rival Brewer several times during the regular season.
Eubanks said the team’s goal is to at least make the regional tournament and go from there. He hopes to see his team compete and hustle in every game, regardless of the eventual outcome of the season.