WARDSVILLE, Mo. - The Blair Oaks volleyball team will have some big holes to fill from last year's squad.
But the Lady Falcons aren't going into the 2014-15 season without some experience.
"I'm not filling seven starting roles," Blair Oaks coach Joy Northweather said Wednesday after the Lady Falcons' last day of team camp. "We've got kids out there that are very experienced. They're confident, they're not afraid to play anybody and I love that."
Blair Oaks graduated three key starters in Paige Stockman, Maggie Hoskins and Jessica Clark from last year's team that went 27-4-1 and fell to Fatima in the championship game of the Class 2 District 7 Tournament.
Stockman holds the school record for most career kills, while Clark holds the single-season and career record for digs.
"We lost some pretty valuable players last year," Northweather said. "I think the girls know what's open. I think all of them see that and know they're going to have to work for it."
While most athletes play club ball during the spring, the summer months provide Northweather an opportunity to evaluate and instruct.
"It's a good opportunity to get them in the gym, playing together, working together," Northweather said. "Oftentimes they're in different sports and if they do play club, they're on different teams.
"This is a good meshing time for us to get things clicking again and to find that new mix."
Blair Oaks opened its offseason on a high note by winning the Licking Summer Camp, but Northweather insists her team has more work to do before the season officially gets underway.
"By no means would I say I know who my starting lineup is going to be in the fall for our first match, but (the summer) is a good opportunity to see how we're going to fill the holes from last year," she said. "Fall sports are kind of unique in the fact that we have this time to prepare."
Allison Maxwell, Sadie Turner and Paige Rackers all started as freshmen last year, while Lizzie Rosslan, Taylor Stockman and Maddie Abbott also played significant minutes at the varsity level.
That doesn't mean there are anyone is entitled to a starting position.
"I want the girls to be hungry, I want them to look for the opportunity to possibly take over a position that they're wanting," Northweather said. "If I have a girl playing on JV, and she is working hard and she can outplay somebody I have on varsity, she's going to move up and see time. I'm looking for that hunger."
Northweather said she rarely finishes with the same starting lineup she starts the season with because "you're always looking to tweak to make things a little bit better."
The Lady Falcons will compete in two or three more tournaments this summer in preparation for the start of the season.
"We will be playing more tournaments, and more tournaments early in the year," Northweather said. "I want them to get that all-day feeling. I want them to be able to finish the day."