Lady Mavericks prep for new district, new challenges
Bethany Lowe, a rising junior, is one of several players who gained meaningful game experience during the successful 2024 Mavericks volleyball season.
High school athletes and coaches will take a two-week break from team activities, and once they return, the fall sports season will be just a few weeks away as preparations resume in earnest.
When the Anderson County High School volleyball team — which reached the Class AA state tournament semifinals in 2024 — entered the dead period, longtime Coach Jayme Smith said she was pleased with her squad’s offseason workouts, even though her contact with players had been limited.
“I haven’t really seen my team in about a week,” Smith said last week. “But I think we’re doing pretty well. We have a lot of our girls who are playing travel volleyball this summer.
“We’re doing something a little different this year,” she said. “The girls have been working on their own. We’re not working out together as a team at CrossFit this year.”
The Lady Mavericks had a successful campaign last fall, ending their season on the state’s grand stage in Murfreesboro despite several question marks early.
Those young players matured quickly, and Anderson County lost just a handful of seniors from last year’s team.
The veterans return in 2025, but Smith said the Lady Mavericks also have a talented group of newcomers eager to make an impact.
“We have some young players who will be competing and looking for time on the court,” she said. “We have a lot of good freshmen and sophomores.
“We’ll be having our team camps a little earlier this year, so we’ll get a good chance to see where we are and what we have.”
For now, the Lady Mavericks will enjoy their break, which Smith said is well-earned ahead of a rigorous schedule that begins in August.
“When we come back, we’ll be going full speed ahead as we get ready for the season,” she said.
“But I’m sure the girls will enjoy two weeks off to do other things and not have sports be a part of it.”
Anderson County will make the jump to Class AAA this season, joining Gibbs.
Both programs reached the Class AA state tournament in 2024, with the Lady Mavericks eliminating the Lady Eagles.
The two teams will now compete in District 3-AAA, which also includes in-county rivals Clinton and Oak Ridge, as well as Knoxville Halls, Powell, Knoxville Central and Campbell County.
Anderson County will host the 2025 district tournament.
