Selma High School’s Lady Saints have high expectations this upcoming volleyball season, with four returning seniors and several summer camps in their rear view mirror.

“Progression instead of regression is the main thing,” Selma head coach Melissa White said. “These kids are eager to learn.”

J’Tia White, T’Keyah Harris, Shykereya Leggett and Khyla Blevins will all be senior starters this year for the Lady Saints, who will open their season Aug. 28 at Demopolis in a tri-match that also includes Thomasville.

Selma hosted a volleyball camp earlier this summer at Selma High School and then several members of the team went to West Alabama for another camp this week.

She said she can teach fundamentals to her team all day, but when they attend camps they often understand better if they learn from a different perspective.

“Hopefully the things we worked on this summer, with the camp I had this summer and the camp [at West Alabama], hopefully all of those things continue into the upcoming season,” White said.

White said sophomore Alashya Manuel appears ready to contribute in a big way this year, along with freshmen Victoria Riley and Karijia Steele.

“We have some good returners, underclassmen and a couple of ninth graders that are going to come in and do a good job,” White said.

Last season, the Saints fell to Sumter Central in the Class 5A, Area 6 tournament in October, which abruptly ended a fairly successful season. Selma had finished second in the area, behind only Demopolis.

This season Selma has moved up a classification to 6A.

The Saints are in a volleyball region with Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Paul Bryant and Chilton County.