KINGSTON — The only senior on the Buccaneers volleyball squad is taking her role as a leader quite seriously. When the team broke its huddle for warmups Monday, Stephanie Eadie was first in line, leading 20 athletes through the first two warmup laps during the opening practice of the season.

Eadie said she’s embracing the role as a team leader for Kingston High School this season.

“I want to get everyone excited about the game. Since I am one of the most experienced players on the team, I feel it’s my job to take on a leadership role,” she said. “If I can get everyone excited about this season as I am, it’s going to be a good year. I am excited for our team. It’s going to be a good experience.”

Buccaneers head volleyball coach Lisa Roberts has enthusiastically eyed the opening day of practice for quite awhile.

“I am excited and anxious in a good way,” she said minutes before practice tipped off. “I am glad practice is getting going. There’s been a lot of build up to this point and now we’re ready to get it going.”

Roberts said her team will be competitive in the Olympic League during the season.

“We’re going to give teams a run for their money,” she said. “I think we will have an opportunity to be competitive. That’s what we’re looking for. Our team is going to work hard and be dedicated. The goal I have for them is to come together as a team.”

Roberts said the key to success in any team sport is a sense of belonging.

“I want this to become their second family,” she said. “I have played sports all my life and it’s critical the team likes each other in order to be good. It’s important everyone gets along. My goal is for us to truly be a team and have fun doing it.”

The first two weeks of practices will dabble in a wide array of exercises.

“We will have them do a lot of basic skill reminders, conditioning, scrimmages and game situations,” Roberts said. “Teaching new skills will be part of it but we will do exercises to refresh their minds, too.”

Freshman Madeline Miller said she is excited about getting to know her teammates in early season practices.

“It’s awesome. I am really excited about our team doing activities together to get to know each other,” she said. “It’s going to be fun.”

Fellow freshman Angelina Ives agreed.

“I am really excited we’re going to have a volleyball team here,” she said. “I think we will do good. We have a lot of players from last year’s Kingston Junior High team that were pretty good.”