Co-ed set to play

The co-ed volleyball team, which has recently been one of the more dominant squads in the county, may have to overcome obstacles, in order to replicate last years' 10-2 season.

Over the last three seasons, Blair has gone a whopping 33-5 in the regular season but has failed to perform well in the playoffs. The team hopes that it will change its postseason ineptitude this season.

Unfortunately, most of last year's boys graduated, meaning that senior Jason Gordon and sophomore Austin Fang, the smallest boys last season, will be this year's tallest, causing a height disadvantage. According to Coach John Mott, the team will need to compensate for their weaknesses by being energetic and playing quality defense. "We lost a lot of height but we're going to make up for that by being fast and scrappy and playing good defense," he said.

Mott believes that the loss of last year's male leaders means that the veteran girls must guide the team to success. "Our girls are pretty experienced, but our guys are not experienced, so the girls will be our strength," he said.

Seniors Rebecca Cho and Lauren Wong should have solid seasons, and senior setter Amanda Hsiung is expected to be the team's most dominant player. "[Hsiung's] a leader. Not only is she our best skilled player, but she brings a lot of energy," Mott said.

The team will have more depth than in previous years. According to Mott, there are ten or 11 players who can have quality outings, and many Blazers can play different roles.

The Blazers have moved up into the county's most difficult division this year, which means they will need to prove their worth against powerhouses such as Sherwood, Poolesville and Damascus.