CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College volleyball team concluded its first week of preseason practice on Saturday, Aug. 11. The 2018 squad has competed in two-a-days for the first week of drills.
 
"I'm extremely pleased with how this week has gone for the team," head coach Shawna Laurendine said. "The team has come in conditioned and ready to compete. I've seen several good things on the floor from both the returners and freshmen. Each group has shown leadership skills at different times."
 
"Kendall Platt has been very good on the outside," said the Lady Choctaws' leader. "She's been a great leader. She's very vocal on the court."
 
Platt, a native of Anaheim, Calif., was named as one of the top newcomers in the Gulf South Conference, as released in the conference's preseason release last week. The Yorba Linda High School product was named first team all-league for three seasons and was named All-CIF last season along with team MVP honors.
 
"We've also got great leadership from a couple of our returners in Shelby Grace Mays and Jill Brown," commented Laurendine. "Shelby Grace is just a leader on and off the court in her actions. The team really responds well to her leadership. She and Jill have set the tone for this team. Jill is a hard worker on the court and leads by example."
 
The week of drills has compiled of serve and receive drills most mornings with more competition based drills in the afternoon such as attacking and blocking among others in preparation for the 2018 campaign.
 
"I'm impressed with our defensive specialists," said Laurendine. "They have worked extremely hard and have been very vocal in our practices."
 
The Lady Choctaws continue their preseason practice schedule the remainder of the week before turning their attention to the season opener on Aug. 24 at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Ark.

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and started competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.

The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.