BAY MINNETTE — With one of her most-experienced teams in her long tenure at Faulkner State Community College, Lady Sun Chiefs volleyball coach Ritchie Dulany is hoping the 2007 season will be one of the school’s best ever.

Dulaney has 10 sophomores back from last year’s team that finished fourth in the Alabama Community College Conference/Region 22 tournament, including all-stars Renee Watson of Bay Minette and Alex Williams of Silverhill and Robertsdale High. Watson was a strong force at the net all season and Williams came on strong in the last two-thirds of FSCC’s 19-17 campaign.

Watson is a middle blocker, Williams an outside hitter.

Other sophomores are Emily Nonnenmacher, Crystal deWeever and Lori Chancey of Mobile; Katelyn Lilley and Wibbi Lloyd of Theodore; Ashleigh Waddail of Elba; Shaniece John of Ozark; and Jillie Brokenshaw of Foley. Dulaney’s four freshmen are Jacqueline Moore of Theodore; Hannah Hicks of Mobile; Jessica Lindsey of Prichard; and Monica Mothershed of Saraland.

Setter Woodail had to undergo gall bladder surgery Monday morning and Dulaney is not sure yet how long the play maker will be sidelined.

“On the positive note, we’ve got a whole lot of returning sophomores,” Dulaney said. “We should be coming in with a lot of game maturity and just game knowledge. That’ll help us out a lot. We’re just gonna have to iron out some things as we go.

“It’s definitely the most-experienced team I’ve had, and I’m bringing back some key players. Renee Watson (and) Emily Nonnenmacher both made the all-conference team, Alex made all-(region) tournament (and) all-conference team, Jillie made an all-tournament team a couple of times, so I’’e got some key players returning in key positions.”

A lack of practice time is one thing that concerns Dulaney as she prepares her squad for its 2007 season-opener at home Tuesday at 6 p.m. against G.C. Wallace of Selma, a new volleyball opponent in the Alabama Community College Conference.

“(The) girls have been practicing real hard. I’m a little frustrated right now as a coach because we’ve only had a week of practice and normally by this time of the (preseason) we’d have had two weeks under our belt, so we just got started late because we had a lot of kids that were coming in from out of town and we didn’t have anywhere to house them,” Dulaney said Monday afternoon. “We just got started a little bit later than usual, so I’m feeling a little bit under-prepared going to a scrimmage tomorrow night.”

“Ashleigh being out is hurting me a little bit because I only had two true middles for the season, so it’s gonna (depend on) whoever I can train for that middle position that’s such a key to my defense.”

Wallace-Selma is somewhat of an unknown, but Dulaney said she believes her team’s experience should help the Lady Sun Chiefs get off to a good start. She expects defending champion Northwest Shoals of Florence to be strong again, along with Wallace-Hanceville and Gadsden State, but believes her team can play with them if all goes well.