The high school volleyball season starts Monday.
Airline hosts Natchitoches Central at 6 p.m. and Haughton hosts West Monroe at 5.
Benton, Parkway and Providence Classic Academy open their seasons Tuesday.
The Lady Tigers host Evangel Christian, the Lady Panthers host Natchitoches Central at 5 and the Lady Knights host Northwood at 6:30.
Bossier opens its second season Wednesday at Huntington at 6:30.
Airline returns two players who made second-team All-District 1-I last season, Junior Ka’Mya Allen and senior Sara-Catherine Tauzin.
Also returning are seniors Abby Hutson, Launa Nguyen, Keziah Coss and Catherine Pittman and juniors Adison Willis and Emma Byrd.
“We are excited for this upcoming season as we are trying to really build up this program,” second-year Head Coach Heaven Wudtee wrote in an email message in response to a request for information about the team. “Sara-Catherine and Keziah Coss have really established their leadership within the team and are really paving the way as far as their expectations for their teammates.
“Catherine has also shown a lot of determination on the court this summer. Ka’Mya, Emma and Adison came in hot from club ball and put in a lot of work during the off season to improve their skills.
“We have great options as far as liberos go as well with Abby Hutson and Acsa Coss working hard everyday to get better in their defense and serve receive. We also have some sophomores fighting for a spot with the varsity group as well.”
The Lady Vikings went 14-17 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Barbara Curry, an assistant last season, has replaced Sondra Adams as head coach at Benton.
The Lady Tigers have high expectations after finishing 22-9 overall and third in District 1-I behind Byrd and Captain Shreve.
Junior Madison Smith, the district’s Overall MVP last season, is back.
Senior Lia Vergis and junior Devyn Moore, both first-team All-District selections, are also returning along with junior Emma Holmes, a second-team selection.
Haughton’s Maddie Polk, a second-team All-District selection and four-year starter, is back for her senior season.
She is the school’s all-time leader in blocks and ranks second in kills.
Other key returning players are seniors Laila Clinton, Lexi Coulson, Imyni Caston, Camille Branton, Bella Hammond and Mackenzie Poole.
Head Coach Justin Ginn also expects sophomores Mikaela Poole and Isabella Van to contribute.
The Lady Bucs went 14-20 last season.
Parkway returns five seniors off last season’s 13-15 season — Javian Ashton, Lecsi Hilton, Jocelynn Silva, Margan Bedford and Maggie Schoenborn.
Schoenborn, Hilton and Silva were second-team All-District selections.
Bossier went 2-10 in is first season of volleyball last year. Both victories were District 1-II games.
Providence Classical Academy begins its second year in the LHSAA. This is the first season the Lady Knights will be eligible to compete for a district championship and a spot in the playoffs.
PCA is in District I-V with Doyline, Lincoln Prep and St. Mary’s.
Sept. 1
Natchitoches Central at Airline, 6
West Monroe at Haughton, 5
Sept. 2
Airline at North Caddo, 6:30
Evangel Christian at Benton, 6
St. Mary’s at Parkway, 5
Sept. 3
Captain Shreve at Airline, 6
Bossier at Huntington, 6:30
Sept. 4
Bossier at Caddo Magnet, 6:30
Parkway at Ruston, 6