Tharptown’s Chloe Lane returns a serve during a recent match against Hatton. Scot Beard/FCT

THARPTOWN — Starting a new sports program is tough under any circumstances, but when the coach has to put his or her team up against established programs the task can seem daunting.

Tracey Fretwell faced that challenge last year when she began coaching volleyball at Tharptown. The team went through normal growing pains in its first season, but Fretwell has seen quite a bit of progress so far this season.

“Everybody has played volleyball for years,” Fretwell said. “For the girls to be ale to hang with them, that is an accomplishment in itself.”

Erika Sparks said she has noticed a difference between how her and her teammates approach matches this year. She said the Lady Wildcats do not think about the experience of their opponents anymore.

“You can’t let them psych you out, you have to stand strong,” Sparks said. “If you go out and think you are going to get beat, you will get beat. You have to bring confidence.”

Fretwell said the difference between last year’s team and this year’s squad is like comparing daylight to darkness.

“They have advanced beyond my expectations,” Fretwell said. “They have come together as a team and feed off of each other.”

Chloe Lane said the team has learned to communicate better on the court and is doing better during long rallies. She said although the Lady Wildcats have gotten better, there is still work to be done.

“I think we’ve improved a lot already and I think we will continue to improve,” Lane said.

One of the things that impress Fretwell most about her squad is that dedication to improvement.

“They have a lot of heart and that is the most important thing,” Fretwell said. “The skill will come, but the heart has to be there.”