Crenshaw County Academy volleyball has made great strides this season.

“We’ve come a long way,” said head coach Mallory Floyd. “ We played Lowndes Academy and Fort Dale Academy at the beginning of the season and they beat us. We played them again last week and beat them.”

The team’s record stands at 5-8 for the season with another five games left to play. If the team wins tonight’s game against Northside and the Oct. 6 game against Ashford, they will have second place in the region locked down.

Floyd said the team’s greatest strengths are its setters, middle hitters and blocking.

Crenshaw started the season down from last year. Four starting seniors had graduated and, with the exception of four veterans, the team was full of new faces.

Team captain Hanna Dillon said Meredith Missildine was the newest of all. She and Floyd consider her as the team’s most improved player. This is Missildine’s first year on any volleyball team.

“I wanted to try something new,” Missildine said. “It’s been a fun experience and we’re looking forward to the rest of the season.”