VOLLEYBALL 2019: Hiwassee Dam looks to continue Little Smoky run

    Hiwassee Dam – When a new head coach takes over a program, they typically inherit a team that has been stuck at the bottom of the barrel and underachieving.
    For Sam Walker, the new head coach of the Hiwassee Dam Lady Eagles, that is not the case.
    The Lady Eagles enter the 2019-2020 season with the opportunity to win their sixth-straight Little Smoky Mountain Conference title after going undefeated (8-0) in conference play last season.
    “I consider myself lucky,” Walker said of taking over a program in the midst of such a streak. “We’ve been going at it pretty heavily, trying to teach them everything I know.”
    Taking over the reins of the team will not be a breeze for Walker, who is tasked with filling in holes left by the quintet of seniors from last year’s squad who graduated.
    Hiwassee Dam does have a strong base of young players, as multiple underclassmen that saw the court for the varsity team are returning.
    “One thing that I’ve noticed is that we have a good group of athletes,” Walker said about the team’s returning core of players, “That always helps. And they’re very coachable, they’re willing to learn.”
    With a new coach at the helm and a handful of new faces expected to see playing time, the pursuit of a sixth consecutive conference title is on the horizon for the Lady Eagles.
    Walker said that going into his first season with the Lady Eagles, he’s challenged his players to play the hardest they can and not to worry about the mistakes they make.
    “They’re going to make mistakes, just like everybody else does,” Walker said. “But if they’re in the right place, doing the right fundamentals, then the mistakes will be minimized.”
    The Lady Eagles opened the season with road games Monday (at Union County) and Tuesday (at Swain County) before another road tilt at Cherokee on Thursday. Their home opener is Thursday, Aug. 29, against Nantahala.