Hill Country Aces select volleyball program to conduct tryouts

The Hill Country Aces, a select volleyball program under the direction of Erin Sawyer, is conducting tryouts Saturday, July 13, at Faith Academy of Marble Falls.

Twelve and 13 year olds try out from 8:30-10 a.m., while 14 and 15 year olds compete from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. for a volleyball season that won’t get started until after Thanksgiving.

“Club season starts in November and goes until June,” Sawyer said. “Middle school and high school volleyball is going from August until November. We have to do tryouts in the summer. It’s hard for us to do tryouts during the high school volleyball season. After the playoffs conclude, our (select) season starts.”

Cost to join the program is $1,700 and includes uniforms, bags, gym fees, practice times and six tournaments.

Sawyer is the volleyball head coach at Faith Academy and the Aces will enter their third year.

Volleyball did plenty for the coach as a student. She was on the Van High School team that went to the state tournament twice and played the sport at East Texas Baptist University. The sport gave her an extended family, one she is recreating with the Aces and Lady Flames.

"It's definitely a family," Sawyer said. “When you play on a team, you go through different challenges. It’s not all hunky dory. There are times you don’t like a player on the team and there are times you don’t get along with the coach. And you keep playing to push through and deal with those hardships. We’re going to have jobs and coworkers we don’t like. You keep pushing through and are better off for the hard work.”

She founded the Hill Country Aces to help grow the sport in the Hill Country, to give players another outlet to play beyond the fall.

“We do have a lot of impact on our athletes,” she said. “I want to make sure the girls know I’m behind them 110 percent. I will push them to work hard because I can see they can achieve it. I want them to work hard and push through.”

Email Sawyer at highlandlakesaces@ gmail.com for more information.