The Charles Henderson Junior varsity volleyball team is taking strides in the 2015 season and head coach Jennifer Sikes sees bright things ahead.

The Trojans competed in the Dothan High Classic over the weekend and finished with a 4-1 record overall before falling in the championship round against Dothan.

The Trojans beat Dothan in pool play to kick off the tournament 14-25, 25-19 and 15-13. They went on to play Rehobeth, Headland, and Ashford in the semi final round.

“They looked really good. They played exceptionally well especially since it was this early in the season,” Sikes said. “We totaled 257 points in the tournament.

The second place finish for the Trojans was out of the eight teams that participated in the early season tournament.

This weekend is just one example of when the JV Trojans has excelled so far this season. The have continued to open the eyes of Sikes and the coaching staff and continue to get better practice after practice.

“They are coming along well. They listen really well it is their strong suit,” Sikes said. “They adjust to what they are told to do and they always try and fix what is wrong. That is what they did on Saturday. They played really well on Saturday. They had a few minor adjustments and we adjusted in between games. We talked about it and they knew what they did wrong and what they needed to do. They really took care of business.”

Like many other junior varsity squads in the area the Trojans are just learning the game of volleyball for the first time and are reliant on what they have learned in practice thus far and really rely on their athletic ability to fill in the rest of the holes on the court. Their willingness to work and their athletic ability so far has brought the Trojans a long way.

“I have a group of athletes,” Sikes said. “They have athletic ability and they have the smarts needed … even as young as they are, they are able to figure out what they are doing wrong and be able to adjust to it.”

Sikes and the JV Trojans hit the court everyday to learn the fundamentals needed to play volleyball successfully. The difference of coaching varsity compared to junior varsity is that the varsity tries to hone their craft, while the younger players are trying to discover one.

“I enjoy coaching the JV because they are currently in a learning process,” Sikes said. “Varsity has been doing it longer and should have the skills needed. My JV team is very committed right now. These girls have the mindset that they want to learn the game and come out on top.”

The Junior varsity Trojans will host Pike County this afternoon at 4 p.m. and Sikes believes this team will continue to grow together and be able to make a lot of noise later in the season.

“They have what it takes,” Sikes said. “I told them that I am looking at the leaders on this team because I Have spots that I can fill on my varsity roster and they I have some potential to be able to call up.”