As Hall of Fame head coach Sandra Holliman enters her 15th season as the Bevill State volleyball coach, the team is working hard to prepare for the upcoming 2009 season.

The Bears are coming off a 15-29 season a year ago. Holliman expects the returning sophomores, along with a superb group of incoming freshmen, to produce an outstanding season.

The team will be filled with experience on the court and depending on a group of talented sophomores to produce quickly.

"I expect my sophomores to provide leadership on and off the court," Holliman said. "Our experienced players are always key to having success. We have freshmen who will be major contributors, but you cannot trade the experience of a year of playing at the collegiate level."

Among the returning players are left-side hitters Kathryn Colston and Delesia Morrow. Colston, a graduate of Deshler High School in Tuscumbia, averaged 1.49 kills per game a year ago.

Morrow, a graduate of Parrish High, averaged 0.81 kills per game last season. Both have tremendous blocking abilities.

The other two sophomores, Lauren Beason and LaShay Henke, will also play an integral part of the teams success this season. Henke, a middle-hitter, averaged 1.49 total attacks per game last season.

Beason, a setter for BSCC, averaged 6.97 assists per game last season, among the tops in the conference. Beason was also the team's academic leader with a 4.0 GPA and was named to the President's List.

The incoming class will be rich in talent and expected to contribute a great deal this season.

Outside hitter Haley Wiggins, a native of Addison, will be expected to play a significant role for the Bears.

"Haley will bring tremendous talent, work ethic, and character to this team," Holliman said.

Meagan Box, a middle hitter also from Addison, will provide offensive and defensive help this season.

"We look for Meagan to do an excellent job in the middle," Holliman stated.

A freshman all-star libero from Olive Branch High School in Mississippi, Danielle Brown, is expected to contribute greatly on the defensive end.

"When I saw Danielle, I knew she would be a fantastic asset to this team," Holliman said.

The conference will once again be competitive from top to bottom. Holliman showed distinct optimism when asked about the conference.

"We know that to qualify for state we have to finish in the top three of our division," said Holliman, who enters the season with over 800 career coaching victories. "That is what we're going to strive to do."