'Determination' for Newnan and young players stepping up for Central as they prepare for 2026 season
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As team throughout Georgia continue preparing for the start of the 2026 Georgia High School Association volleyball season to get underway, participation in preseason scrimmages are allowing teams to get fine tune strategies and game plans.
"I'm seeing a lot of hard work, determination, girls that really want to be here and just willing to put the work in and try everything that I ask them to," New Cougars head coach, McKenna James, said following their scrimmage in which they hosted the Central Lions. "They're ready to hustle. That's what I've been seeing," James said of he team and how they have approached getting set for the season.
"I hoping to see a lot of communication, us being able to read the ball, moving our feet, getting set," James said of what she wanted to see from her team as they faced Central. "I know we saw a little bit and we stressed on it, but I'm willing to work on it some more with them and I'm excited to see what we do later in the season," James said.
The Cougars, who have not missed the GHSA state championship tournament in over a decade, finished the 2025 season with 32 wins and will look to several returning players, including junior outside hitter, Kaycie Brown. "Not only is she a strong hitter, she's a great passer. It's great to have someone who's that bail out, just to be a big hitter. She's also a great leader," James said of Brown. "She's just overall a great kid and I love having her on the team," James said.
For Central, who are coming off back to back 30 plus win seasons as well as back to back seasons not surrendering a region loss during the regular season, head coach, Chris Smith, has been impressed with younger Lions' players and their ability to step up and step in.
"We have two new setters on varsity and they are really getting the hang of it, they're doing a great job," Smith said of what he is seeing from his team. "Connections are really starting to hit and tonight we had a lot of great middle connections, which is what we have to have," Smith said, adding praise of the Lions' outside hitters as well.
With the 2025 season ending on what Smith described as a "sour note", he believes his team heads into 2026 with motivation to return to action. "We lost a really tight game to Westminster, they we really could have probably pulled out, and I think they're hungry and I think that's a big deal, they're very hungry," Smith said.
"They think that they have a chance to go deep, and we as well do, and that's what we really want to build on, that hunger and wanting to get better, wanting to go deeper," Smith added.
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