Putnam County volleyball is still figuring some things out, but the War Eagles have already shown enough early in the season to give head coach Rakeena Griffin plenty of optimism.
The War Eagles entered this week 2-2, with a young roster learning on the fly and a few experienced players helping set the tone.
There have been some things Griffin has liked and others the team needs to clean up, but she believes the best could still be ahead.
“It’s been going good,” Griffin said. “I’m hopeful about the season; it’s still early. So I see some good things in the girls and some areas where we need to work on. But I gotta say, it’s a young group of girls with a few seasoned leaders.”
Griffin expects youth to become less noticeable as the season progresses.
“I feel like by midseason, we’ll be rocking and rolling, so we’ll get it together by then,” she said.
Putnam County spent part of Saturday testing itself against some experienced competition in Jones County. The War Eagles faced Rutland, whom they also played in their first match of the season, as well as First Presbyterian Day.
For Griffin, those are exactly the types of matches she wants her team to play.
“I don’t want the cupcake games,” Griffin said. “I want the games that’ll push the girls to be better, push them to their limits.”
The War Eagles remained competitive despite facing more experienced teams.
“I feel like our girls kept up; they kept the pace, definitely were competing,” Griffin said. “And showed a whole lot of effort even though some of those teams are a little bit more seasoned than we are.”
Those matches also give Putnam County a chance to see things it might not see in everyday practice.
Griffin said that playing against bigger schools and more established programs allows her players to see different offenses and ways of playing the game. She hopes those experiences will help the War Eagles continue to improve.
“We need to play bigger schools and more seasoned programs so we can see how the game is played, and see how these teams run their offenses and learn from competing against them,” she said.
Senior outside hitter Brysen Pearson has been one of the players leading the way.
Griffin said Pearson has been having a good season and has been especially effective from the service line, delivering several aces.
Freshman middle blocker Avery Abrams is another player Griffin believes could make a big jump this year.
“I feel like she’s gonna have a breakout season this year,” Griffin said. “She’s getting volleyball year-round. So with that and then high school volleyball, I feel like she’s really gonna have a breakout season.”
With region play approaching, Griffin said the focus is less on worrying about the opponent and more on taking care of what Putnam County can control.
That includes attitude, effort and the mental side of the game.
“Dealing with the battle of the mind, attitude, and hustle, and understanding how to compete against the opponent and not beat up ourselves,” Griffin said.
The War Eagles got an early look at some of their area competition during a preseason tournament, but Griffin said the next step is turning those lessons into execution when matches are on the line.
“Definitely focusing on fixing what we can control and executing and finishing, I would say, is the main thing,” she said.
One thing Griffin already likes about this group is the chemistry. The players spent time getting to know each other over the summer, which has helped build trust on the court.
“The girls really got to know each other over the summer,” Griffin said. “So there’s some trust there, and when there’s trust, the team normally thrives.”
That chemistry, along with the team’s athleticism and willingness to compete, has Griffin feeling good about what this group can become.
“I definitely have a special group,” Griffin said. “This group feels different from my groups in the past, but in a good way. I definitely have high hopes for the girls.”