The Lady Lions volleyball team prepared for their upcoming season in their Green v. Gold scrimmage at the University Center Thursday, Aug. 18. The match kicked off at 6:30 p.m. to the sound of cheering fans.

The scrimmage was used to prepare the team mentally and physically for their upcoming games. Split into two Green and Gold squads, the players were able to use their training in a real-game experience.

The Green team won 3-0, taking each game by scores of 25-16, 25-22 and 25-20. On Gold, junior Kailin Newsome and sophomore Gracie Duplechin led with 12 and 9 kills respectively. Green team senior Jolie Hidalgo matched Newsome with 12 kills of her own. Her sister Cicily Hidalgo was right behind with 11.

Head Coach Jeremy White said, “I think any chance to get our kids out there in a competition and in front of fans, especially our freshmen, it’s huge…and in a live setting…It’s good for them to get to be aggressive and compete, especially knowing that we haven’t put out a real lineup yet.”

It’s an exciting season for the athletes, whose schedule brings them all over Louisiana, Texas and even New York to compete in competitions such as the Jack Kaiser Volleyball Classic, the Battle for the Boot, the 2022 Southland Conference and more.

Cicily Hidalgo, the 2021 Southland Conference and AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year, is back after a stellar campaign last year. She explained what she felt was most important to her success last year, “I thought that I had a really good defense behind me, really good setters and great teammates that were always behind me when I was down and always there to help me.”

With several impressive stats, Hidalgo looked to the season ahead, saying, “I’m very excited. I think we can accomplish a lot; we have players who can play at any time and with any lineup.”

The team is also excited to welcome back 2020 Freshman of the Year Junior Kailin Newsome from her past year at Wichita State. “…I’m really excited. She’s an amazing player, and I’ve learned a lot from her already. She brings a really good aspect to the team—she adds a lot,” Hidalgo stated.

Newsome shared what made her decide to return to Southeastern and what she learned from her experience away. She said, “I missed the family aspect. I got along with the coaches and the teammates really well, and I felt like this was the place for me…I would say that I need to be more realistic, and I’ll use that here by trying to win a championship.”

She stated she is looking forward to playing offense with Hidalgo this year as outside hitters. “Oh my gosh…yeah I’m super excited. We were good friends when I left and when I came back—so I’m excited to play with her this year.”

Coach White shared his expectations for the team going into the season. “We were picked number three pre-season. I don’t think there’s anyone in this gym right now that thinks we can’t be picked number one,” he said.

The Lady Lions opened their season with an exhibition match against ULM in the UC on Saturday where the green and gold won 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21). A trip westward across state lines is next on the agenda as the squad will travel to Beaumont, Texas for their first official games in the Katrinka Crawford Invitational held Aug. 26-27.