Lady Patriots face Hewitt in home volleyball opener Thursday

The Homewood Lady Patriots volleyball team has its first home match Thursday when Hewitt-Trussville visits. The junior varsity teams play at 5 with the varsities squaring off at 6.

Carol Chesnutt has returned as head coach after serving as an academic monitor. She was Homewood's coach from 2005 to 2010 before retiring from coaching and focusing on the administrative end. This is her 34th year in coaching. She took the Lady Patriots to the Class 5A finals in 2005 where they finished as runner-ups and the Class 6A Elite Eight in 2009. That's when 6A was the largest classification.

"They asked me if I would consider coming back," Chesnutt said after Tuesday's practice. "I'd had a four-year respite. I missed working with the players and the day-to-day connection with the student-athletes."

Homewood has six seniors, who are providing solid leadership in the early going, two juniors and a large group of talented sophomores.

Seniors on the team are libero Virginia Estes, left hitter Rachel Donaldson, left hitter/defender Brittney Sims, middle hitter Deja Hester-Taylor, outside hitter Alexis Broach and left hitter Elizabeth Riley. Junior middle hitter Venice Sanders is becoming a force in the early going and sophomore setters Elizabeth Burkhalter and Mary Frances Gaston are stepping their games up after a year on the varsity as freshmen. Junior Josephine Graf and sophomores Lia Roberson, Ajah Wayne and Sydney Gurram are expected to be major contributors.

Chesnutt said she and team are still learning each other right now, but the team is working hard to contend when the area tournament rolls around in mid-October. Till then, she said she's focused on "taking care of the home court and area opponents."

Woodlawn and Briarwood Christian are the other teams in the Lady Pats' area.