No losses personnel wise from last year and a core of returning players bode well for the Alberton Panthers 2023 volleyball team.

Head coach Dana Smith’s Panthers may be small in numbers, but they have a solid blend of quickness, height and athletic ability as the new season gets underway.

Smith said, last year’s team, which won three regular season contests and one match in the postseason, will benefit from another year of playing at the Class C varsity level.

She listed four players she is hoping will continue to show the improvement they did during the 2022 season.

Among those back for another year are Lynn Nix, Lacy Zimmerman, Anna Dao and Georgia Fredette. That core is a microcosm of this year’s team, which features a good blend of experience and improved knowledge of the game.

The Panthers did not lose any players from last year as they had no seniors on the roster. They opened this year on the road at the Drummond tournament, while their first match of the season is this Thursday (August 31) when they journey to Pablo for a meeting with the Lady Eagles of Two Eagle River High.

Smith said playing as a team is among the top attributes she sees for the 2023 squad, which had saw 10 players report to the recently concluded preseason workouts.

“Playing as a team with great sportsmanship is one of our anticipated strengths this year,” Smith said. “Each player we have is talented, we just have to find our way of combining all their talents.”

She added she believes this team can continue to improve as the season progresses, much as it did last year.

“I think we can always improve on every aspect of the game,” she said. “I think we will see a large growth in our offense this year.”

As with other league coaches, Smith said she sees perennial power Charlo and Seely-Swan as the top teams they will face.

“We are excited to get things underway,” she said.