Charles Henderson varsity volleyball coach Sonny Kirkpatrick is heading into his second season at the helm with the Trojans. After a successful 2017 campaign, Kirkpatrick and the Trojans hope to keep the ball rolling this season.

Just because the athletes have been out of school doesn’t mean Kirkpatrick and the Lady Trojans haven’t been working this summer.

“We have been doing things all summer when we have been allowed to,” Kirkpatrick said. “It’s going pretty well. We have had some injuries over the last couple of weeks that have slowed us down a little bit.”

Charles Henderson had a play date in Enterprise last week and due to key players missing, other players had the opportunity to step up and fill the void.

“It gave everyone an opportunity to show what they can do when it was their time,” Kirkpatrick said. “It allowed me to see who has been working hard on the things that we have been concentrating on all summer.”

Last season was a whirlwind for Kirkpatrick. After being hired in December of 2016, Kirkpatrick was tasked with getting his new team up to speed. By season’s end, the Trojans had one of their more successful seasons in recent memory, finishing with a 21-17 record.

So far this summer, the players have a better understanding of Kirkpatrick.

“The girls know what to expect from us as a coaching staff,” Kirkpatrick said. “They know the expectations that we have for them. I think they have raised their expectation levels as well. They understand that we are not going to let them get away with coming to practice and slacking off. It’s been enjoyable. We are still trying to figure which pieces go where.”

Last season, the Trojans took on a difficult schedule out of the gates. This season, Kirkpatrick is giving his team the opportunity to play new, unfamiliar teams.

“The beginning part of this year has been about scheduling people that we typically don’t have a chance to play,” Kirkpatrick said. “I don’t know when the last time was that Charles Henderson played Montgomery Catholic and I don’t know if we have ever played Elmore Country. We play Lanier two days later. It’s staying relatively close while playing different opponents. Every time you go on the floor you are going to face different styles. We have to be able to adjust on the fly.”

The Trojans will begin their season on August 28 when they travel to Montgomery to play Montgomery Catholic and Elmore County.