Volleyball season starts Saturday, and Wallace Community College Selma head coach April Harper is trying to get her team up to speed.

The Patriots return only five sophomores from last year’s team that went 18-8 and made the Alabama Community College Conference postseason tournament and are behind schedule with the opener just days away.

“I need the heart of a lion and right now I have pups,” Harper said.

Harper’s high expectations do not waiver from year to year.

This season she’d like Wallace to win more games than last season’s team, but right now she’s looking for leaders to step up.

As of this point, she said none of her 14 players have stood out from the pack.

“All positions are open and to be honest, I don’t have any standouts,” Harper said. “Simply because, no one has played past what I think they can do. I don’t feel like I’m getting my 110 percent yet. We’re almost there, but I’m not getting my 110 percent yet.”

Specifically, Harper said she’s looking for leaders, stabilizers and closers.

“I need somebody when we are out here scrimmaging, somebody to stabilize the players so we can finish a game if we are already ahead and I need a closer,” Harper said. “When it’s time to come back here and serve the ball, I need somebody to come back here … with no fear.”

The Patriots’ started practices over two weeks ago with an emphasis on conditioning and defense.

Harper said her team is sent a workout packet for the summer, but it’s inevitable that they’ll be a bit out of shape when they return to school.

“A lot of these girls are at home for the summer and although they receive a workout packet, a lot of them don’t adhere to it, so we come in and start with conditioning,” she said.

“We run, they have to run at least a mile and we do exercise stations working on different muscle groups.”

Wallace Community College Selma opens its volleyball season Saturday at a tournament at Southern Union.

The Patriots will play their home opener Sept. 2 against Concordia College Alabama at 6 p.m.