Ruthie King and the Lady Blazers volleyball team have been on fire since this season’s campaign has started.
 After last weekend’s tournament at the invitational in Huntsville, Ala., the team sits at 7-4.  King, a proficient hitter and team leader, would love to see her team do well, as she takes the floor for her final year.
 “I can see us going far,” King said.  “We’re known to make opposing teams nervous and make them fight back. Also our team chemistry is great.  So we should be fine.”
 King, a Winter Park, Fla. native, is one of the captains this season along with another senior, Irene Hannan.  The two have been known to be a dynamic duo as they both play outside hitters.
 “Everyone has their own role,” King said.  “However, players do look up to me. It was like this in high school for me. I’m used to it. I’ve always been held accountable.  [Coach Poyer] pushes me more than everyone else cause he knows I can take it. The pressure doesn’t get to me.”
 The Lady Blazers indeed have many vital players who make it possible to win on game day.
 One player in particular is a new freshman, Hope Ripsam.  Ripsam, who plays setter for the Lady Blazers, came thousands of miles to be a part of a winning squad.  The Colorado native is fortunate to play alongside experienced senior King.
 “She helps me a lot and keeps me accountable,” Ripsam said.  “Ruthie is someone I can always go to.” 
 Coach Sia Poyer can see a bright future in his team as they move forward on their schedule. Coach Poyer has a huge amount of confidence not only in King and Ripsam, but in the entire team.
 “We have much talent on our team,” Coach Poyer. “I know my girls and what they are capable of doing. Our primary goal is to get to the conference tournament.” 
 This past weekend the Lady Blazers went 2-1 at the invitational. They lost a heartbreaker in the final set on Friday against Arkansas Tech.  However, Coach Poyer got his team to move on from the loss and stay focused for the next matches ahead.  On Saturday, they won both of their games against Christian Brothers and Henderson State.
 The Lady Blazers are fired up to hit the road to Pensacola, Fla. to play West Florida for their first conference match this season on Friday night at 8 p.m.