&uot;The team has no experience. They might have played a little volleyball in PE class or something, but other than that, no experience. We’re starting from scratch.&uot;

That’s the sentiments of Calera High School’s first-year head volleyball coach Angie Kitchens. The coach has coaching experience, but this is the first year the school will put a team on the court.

Kitchens coached a NASA travel club team for four years and was an assistant coach for East Limestone, a Class 4A regional qualifier a year ago.

Despite the lack of experience, Kitchens has high expectations of this young, eager group.

&uot;I expect us to at least get out of our area,&uot; Kitchens said.

That area includes Horseshoe Bend, Vincent and Shades Mountain.

Horseshoe Bend and Shades Valley each qualified a year ago to participate in the state tournament.

Kitchens said that in years past at Calera, interest for forming a volleyball team would arise, but nothing would come of that interest.

&uot;There just hasn’t been a lot of interest in a volleyball team here before,&uot; Kitchens said. &uot;In the beginning there would be some girls who would talk about it, then when it came time to form a team they would back out.&uot;

This year, Kitchens said, was different.

&uot;Some of the girls on the team actually started a petition and passed it around and got it signed,&uot; Kitchens said. It was a very popular idea and it just went from there. I was kind of surprised at the number of girls we had turn out.

Popular, to say the least. The first-ever

team will have 22 players.

Those 22 players have under a month to prepare for their first match against Thorsby and Vincent on Sept. 2.

&uot;We were able to begin practice on Aug. 4,&uot; Kitchens said. &uot;That doesn’t give us a whole lot of time, but the girls are really coming along well.&uot;

Kitchens said some of the talent is just plain natural.

&uot;Some of the girls out here have picked it up very well,&uot; Kitchens said. &uot;It just comes natural to them. They are learning faster than I ever assumed they would. We’re all looking forward to the first season and we’re not going to be out there just to play &045; we want to win.&uot;