Lady Cobras strike back after semifinal run

FOUNTAIN LAKE — After a record 29-3 season, Fountain Lake head coach Tina Moore looks to regroup after graduating both of her starting and reserve setters, leading outside hitter and the majority of her back row passers.

Graduating six seniors left the Lady Cobras with most of the six positions up for grabs.

“We have worked hard this summer in finding people to put in positions because we are definitely regrouping,” Moore said. “We’ve actually found some good spots for people, so we’re kind of happy with that. We’re going to be really young, obviously. We did some good quality team camps this summer.”

One of the biggest losses has been the team’s passers.

“We did a little survey at the beginning of team camps at the beginning of July, and we realized that five of our six passers graduated,” Moore said. “We have one. Honestly, that’s going to be the biggest thing — that is the biggest thing we’re working on — is to develop some back-row players. We’ve got the hitting power in the front, but we lost every passer I had except for my libero.”

With Elizabeth Bairett and Lyndsey Blees handling most of the setting duties last season, Moore is looking to freshman Sophie Skinner to step up into the setter position.

“We’re starting a freshman setter, but she’s done pretty good for us,” she said. “I think that as the year goes, she’s going to get more and more experienced and just grow that much more. I’m looking forward to great things from her.”

Moore has just four seniors this season, including Cherokee Fields, who moved into the district after three years at Cutter Morning Star.

“My two middles from last year are returning,” she said. “Emily Burke’s kind of taken on a couple of different roles. She’s played a little bit of right side, a little bit of middle and a little bit of DS for us this summer. We’re still unsure where we’re going to use her, but she’s pretty versatile.”

Also returning are middle/right side Kaitlyn Bledsoe and defensive specialist Emily Hughes.

“Kaitlyn Bledsoe has been the ultimate of team leaders on the floor for team camps this summer,” Moore said. “She has really taken charge and stepped up, and that has been invaluable to us.”

Last year’s libero, Erin Graves, is returning for her junior season after collecting 432 digs and scoring 127 service points as a sophomore, landing on The Sentinel-Record’s Second All-Garland County team.

“She will still be our DS/libero,” Moore said. “She

is our only returning passer from last year; she was alone with seniors on the back row. … Last year, she only played three rotations, but she has been dabbling with six rotations, stepping in and taking the place of some of our sophomores.

“She played some club on a travel team during the off-season. She is ready to go. I’m hoping that she’ll shine through.”

Moore said several sophomores have stepped up in summer camps and practices to try and fill the holes left with the loss of last year’s senior class.

“I’ve got a couple of really strong 10th-graders who have played a lot of quality time this summer,” she said. “Landry Cate has played a lot of time this summer, and Carena Bledsoe, the little sister, and that’s sometimes a catalyst on the floor. … Presley Hameric has played right side for me, and she’s done a great job. She’s really big for us in the blocking game.”

The Lady Cobras also move down a classification from the Class 4A West conference they dominated a year ago into the Class 3A South.

Joining Fountain Lake in the conference are Ashdown, Baptist Prep, Episcopal Collegiate, Haskell Harmony Grove, Jessieville and LISA Academy.

“We’ll be competitive,” Moore said. “I think in 3A, three teams from our conference will move on to the state tournament, so we’ll have to compete a little bit because you always have some good competition in there. Arkansas Baptist is still a powerhouse; they’ve got some good returning players. Ashdown’s got their big hitter, Adaysia (Thompson).”

The Lady Cobras will be opening the season with a road trip Benton to face the Lady Panthers in a benefit game at the Boys and Girls Club.

“That’s always the best competition,” Moore said. “That really kind of gives me a baseline of how we’re going to compete through the season; that’s kind of my litmus of what I shoot for. Playing those big schools — Benton and Bryant and Mount St. Mary’s and some of them — and see how we can hang and rally with them. We’re usually pretty successful if we can hang in there and hold our own against the big dogs. That’s what I consider the big dogs as far as school size.”

Fountain Lake will host Malvern Aug. 23 and Bryant Aug. 28 for varsity matches before opening the conference season on the road at Baptist Prep Sept. 4. The Lady Cobras will also host Hot Springs Aug. 27 for freshman and junior varsity games as part of the lead up to the First Security Bank Kickoff Classic where the Cobras football team will travel to face the Trojans on Aug. 30.