The 2017 volleyball season is up and running and, according to head coach Peter McGloin, the Lady Falcons aim to make the state championship a repeat performance for the local high school.

Play began Aug. 29 in a home match against Payson and will continue this evening, Aug. 30, on the road at North Pointe Prep. That match is set to begin at 6 p.m.

Heading into the weekend, the Falcons will enjoy some tournament play Sept. 1 against squads from Odyssey Institute, Buckeye, Chandler Prep and more. The regular season will continue Sept. 5 with a 6 p.m. home game against Northwest Christian.

McGloin said the Falcons had a slower start last season and he’s hoping they’ll hit the grown running in 2017.

“This year’s team could be really special,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of the same girls from last year’s championship season. We lost three amazing leaders and we’ve got some holes to fill, but we’ve got a lot of experience and a lot of starters coming back.”

McGloin said there’s more depth on the roster this season, too, which should add a nice boost to an already successful program. And in addition to those nine varsity returners – five of whom are returning starters – the roster will be complemented by five talented new players and a couple of solid transfer students.

“They fit in well and we feel lucky to have them,” McGloin added. “We’ve got a great opportunity this year, but the 3A conference is also really tough this year. Every team is returning most of their top players, so it’s going to be a strong, strong conference this year.”

Looking ahead, McGloin said that a lot of the Falcons’ strength this season is derived from the girls’ experience. He does not have to start from scratch so much as polish areas where the team needs improvement. He said he feels the Falcons are also one of the best serving teams in the state regardless of division, so he expects the Falcons’ offense will have plenty of forward momentum.

“Our defense can be really scrappy and feisty,” he added. “That’s the way we play the game.”

McGloin said that he’s seen some high-caliber volleyball in both practices and scrimmages here in the early goings, something that took the team a while to build up to last season.

“They remember how to play the game the right way, which means having each other’s backs and playing with togetherness,” McGloin added. “We’re exactly where I want us to be. I have high hopes for this team and their ability to overcome the obstacles that might pop up through the season.”

After winning the state title in both indoor and beach volleyball last school year, McGloin said the team’s aim this season is no surprise.

“We weren’t ashamed to have a state championship as our goal last year and we’re expecting the same this year,” McGloin said. “But if we play the game the way it’s meant to be played and the ball still doesn’t bounce our way, we can live with it. We just aim to play hard all the time, to play focused and keep playing Falcons volleyball.

“If we do that, it could certainly lead to another state championship.”

Taking a gander at the upcoming season, McGloin added that this will be an especially good year for fans to find their way into the local stands.

“We actually have some really good teams coming here this season, including what I think are three of the top five contenders,” he continued. “We’ve also got Scottsdale Christian coming, who I think is the best team in the 2A conference.

“So there will be a lot of good games to come see at home. I think we play an exciting brand of volleyball, so the fans are going to see a lot of fun, focus, intensity and hard-working girls who are playing for each other.”