SENATOBIA - Last season was a banner year for the Northwest volleyball program and coach Allison Burchyett.

In the third season of the program's existence, the Lady Rangers posted a 15-14 overall record and captured their first Region 23 Play-In Championship, with an exciting 3-0 victory against Pearl River on October 29. That victory sent Northwest to the FCSAA/NJCAA Division II Gulf District Tournament for the first time, one step below advancing to the national tournament.

Despite the first round loss, Burchyett has nothing but positives to take away from last season's run and hopes to keep things going into this season's nearly-even roster. 

"We hope to build on our momentum from last year," Burchyett said. "It's nice to have seven returning players and eight fresh faces. As exciting as last year was, we want to take that experience and get better. We're not satisfied and we want to continue deeper into the postseason."

Although Northwest did lose some key pieces from last year's squad, the Lady Rangers do bring back a strong sophomore core. Micah Swift is one of the most notable returners after leading the team in kills last season (217) and finishing a close second in blocks (73). Joining Swift is Jacia Hayes, who led with 81 total blocks and was third in kills with 166.

Joining Hayes and Swift are sophomores Kailey Gooch, Cristen Cleveland and Kaley Rikard. All three players finished with 100 or more kills last year, with Cleveland tacking on a team-high 46 service aces as well. Rikard finished second on the team with 202 digs, while Cleveland was not far behind with 184. Gooch also posted 53 total blocks, the third-most on the Lady Rangers' roster last season.

Caroline Howard and Emma Norman also return from last season's group, providing additional depth that will be crucial in big matches.

"I expect a lot of leadership from our returning sophomores this season," Burchyett said. "This is our first truly balanced class that we have had, and I am looking for them to mentor the freshmen and help them along. We have a really aggressive schedule this year, so it's a marathon and not a sprint. We are going to have bumps in the road, but the important thing is making sure that we stay the course and be encouraging of each other. I want them to enjoy the process and stay positive, so we can have a successful run at the end of the season."

Though a large portion of starters return from last year's team, Northwest also brings in a lot of talented newcomers that will be expected to contribute. One of those is redshirt freshman Kaya Coleman, a transfer from NCAA Division II program Southwest Baptist University. A native of Cobden, Ill., Coleman helped her high school squad to a conference title, while finishing second in aces and 20th in total blocks in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

Coleman is far from the only new face, though, as Burchyett welcomes DeSoto County standouts Abbey Swift (Lewisburg) and Ally Grimes (DeSoto Central), along with Mid-South natives Anna Lott (Bartlett, Tenn.) and Madison Allison (Marion, Ark.). Northwest also dipped further south into the Pelican State to bring in the duo of Angelle Thibeaux (Broussard, La.) and Layla Dyer (Lafayette, La.), both of Ovey Comeaux High School. The Lady Rangers also welcomed Sarah Bolin of Poplarville, Miss., rounding out the 2023 roster.

"They are a quiet, but exciting bunch," Burchyett said, regarding her freshman class. "They are working hard and competing for positions. You will see several bright spots from this group and everyone will contribute, especially when we play multiple matches on the same day. We will have all 15 players ready to go and ready to step up when their numbers are called."

Another welcome addition to the program has been the hiring of a new full-time assistant coach. David Culver formally accepted the role earlier this month, serving as Burchyett's first full-time assistant.

"I am thrilled to have Coach Culver as an official part of our Northwest volleyball family," Burchyett said. "He will add great levels of knowledge and experience to our program."

As for the season, the Lady Rangers have a grueling schedule ahead for the 2023 season. With most of the matches still against non-Region 23 programs, Northwest will compete in several tournaments in Florida, Texas, Tennessee and Alabama. Numerous tri-matches will continue to dot the schedule as well, including some in Senatobia.

Kicking things off for Burchyett's bunch is a trip to the Sunshine State for the Pensacola State Tournament, scheduled for August 17-18. Northwest is slated to open with the host Pensacola State, before facing Coastal Alabama-East, Enterprise State and Santa Fe College.

"All of those teams will be competitive," Burchyett said, touching on the Pensacola State Tournament and the rest of her non-region slate. "There are no easy teams. In those matches, we have to get better every time we step out onto the court and realize that it's not about how you start in August, but how you finish going into November. We need to keep working hard and improving each day, making adjustments to better ourselves as we go."

As for the Region 23 slate, Northwest will yet again have to go through Itawamba and Pearl River in hopes of defending its title from last season. While both of those squads will be reloaded and ready to go, the Lady Rangers are also not counting out Northeast, which enters as a challenger for its first season under veteran coach Brenda Mayes.

"I expect all of those teams to be competitive," Burchyett said. "Pearl River gave us everything we could handle last season and they will continue to do so. Itawamba is a strong rival with us as well and I don't expect anything less from Northeast. They have a strong coach with a great background, so I expect them to be competitive very quickly in this region."

Overall, the top goal for Northwest is obvious: defending last year's title, while also gearing up for another deep run in the postseason.

"We would certainly like to make the postseason once again," Burchyett said. "Region 23 is now paired with our neighbors in Alabama, so the trip won't be quite as far and we have several of those schools on our schedule as well. We would like to be more competitive when we get there. We have seen it now and we want to go again, but this time with a deeper run."

At this time, none of the matches in Pensacola are expected to be broadcasted, but constant social media updates will be provided on Twitter (@NWCC_Rangers). Northwest will open the home portion of its schedule on Wednesday, August 23, with three matches at Howard Coliseum against Rust College (1 P.M.), Millsaps College (5 P.M.) and Champion Christian College (7 P.M.).

All of Wednesday's matches, as well as all home matches, will be carried on Ranger TV.