BENTONVILLE -- There's a sense of unfinished business that encompasses Bentonville's volleyball team this year.
The Lady Tigers reached the Class 7A State Championship last fall, only to lose that match against Fort Smith Southside. That shortcoming has served as a motivational tool as Bentonville prepares for its upcoming season, which begins with a Aug. 26 home match against former conference foe Siloam Springs.
Bentonville Lady Tigers 2014 Volleyball Schedule
Date^Opponent^Time
Aug. 21^Shiloh Christian/Rogers Hertiage#^5:30 p.m.
Aug. 26^Siloam Springs^6:30 p.m.
Aug. 28^Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo^6:30 p.m.
Aug. 30^at Jenks, Okla.^Noon
Sept. 1^at Carl Junction, Mo.^6:30 p.m.
Sept. 4^Fort Smith Northside*^6:30 p.m.
Sept. 5-6^at Tulsa (Okla.) Bishop Kelley Tourney^TBA
Sept. 9^at Springdale Har-Ber*^6:30 p.m.
Sept. 11^at Rogers High*^ 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 16^Springdale High*^6:30 p.m.
Sept. 18^at Fort Smith Southside*^6:30 p.m.
Sept. 20^at Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo Tourney^TBA
Sept. 23^Rogers Heritage*^6:30 p.m.
Sept. 25^Fayetteville*^6:30 p.m.
Sept. 30^at Fort Smith Northside^6:30 p.m.
Oct. 2^Springdale Har-Ber*^6:30 p.m.
Oct. 7^Rogers High*^6:30 p.m.
Oct. 9^at Springdale High*^6:30 p.m.
Oct. 14^Fort Smith Southside*^6:30 p.m.
Oct. 16^at Rogers Heritage*^6:30 p.m.
Oct. 18^at Blue Valley (Kan.) Tourney^TBD
Oct. 21^at Fayetteville*^6:30 p.m.
Oct. 26-31^at Class 7A State Tournament^TBA
— Cancer Challenge benefit match
- — 7A-West Conference match
"It makes us want state bad this year," senior Haley Seyfarth said Wednesday during the team's Summer Sand Blast at Memorial Park. "Now that Southside is in our conference, it changes everything. We want them bad."
Seyfarth, fellow senior Anna LeDuc and junior Sadie Pate are among the key components from last year's team that Lady Tigers coach Michelle Smith will build around this fall. Smith said Seyfarth and LeDuc will shoulder much of the leadership roles on a senior-laden team this season and may never leave the court at any time.
There is room, however, for younger players to contribute, and Smith said they will get their opportunities to perform. Emma Palasak, a freshman that has been moved up to the varsity level, will see some playing time, and sophomore Ashton Tate will get some serious looks as a setter.
Because there is so much experience back, Smith said the offseason has become a matter of fine-tuning the team instead of a rebuilding mode.
"We're just tweaking here and there and adjusting to a few new faces," Smith said. "We're also trying to find our niche, find our groove and see what works for us.
"No matter how much it stays the same, every group is going to be a little bit different. This group has been a lot of fun to work with. Their energy is great, and the leadership is awesome. We're excited about to see what these players can do when the season starts."
Smith did try something a little differently during the offseason. Bentonville normally mixes team camps with its offseason workouts, but this year all of the camps -- at Arkansas, a skills camp at home and at Kansas -- were done earlier this month before preseason workouts began in earnest on Monday.
The Lady Tigers earned a second-place finish in the Gold Division during their camp at Kansas, which included some highly competitive teams.
"It was neat to do it this way because we got to see, right away, where we needed improvement," Smith said. "This was kind of a fresh start, looking at our team and seeing the list of things we need to work on. We could take it from there, and we have five to six weeks to prepare for our first game.
"They're hungry. They have a chip on their shoulder from last year, and they're ready to show everyone what they can do."
Sports on 07/25/2014