The Atmore Christian School Rams started preparations Monday for a new volleyball season, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t worked this summer.

First-year coach Daniel Hubbard said the team had open gym times this summer in addition to home workouts to prepare for Monday’s first official practice.

Hubbard replaces veteran coach Michelle Yoder – who had a baby over the summer – as the leader of the young, inexperienced team. The Lady Rams have two players on the team who started games last year.

Of those two – Brianna Pearson and Charity Hall – only one, Hall, is a senior. Hubbard expects them to be the leaders on the team.

ACS has about two weeks of practice left before its first game, a tournament hosted by West Florida Tech in Milton, on Thursday, Aug. 22 and Friday, Aug. 23.

The Lady Rams then travel to Robertsdale on Tuesday, Aug. 27 to take on Central Christian before a match on Thursday, Aug. 29 against Escambia Academy in Canoe.

Tuesday, Sept. 3 will mark ACS’ first home match at 4:30 p.m. against Christian Collegiate Academy.

On Thursday, Sept. 5, ACS takes on Santa Rosa in Milton before traveling to Pensacola three matches in a row to face Trinitas, East Hill and Aletheia on Sept. 6, 10 and 12.

On Sept. 19 ACS takes on Bayshore Christian Academy in Fairhope before taking on Trinitas in Atmore on Friday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m.

The game against Trinitas sets off a five-game home-stand where the Lady Rams, also at 4 p.m., take on Aletheia, Central, Calvary Christian Academy and East Hill on Sept. 24, 26, 27 and Oct. 1, respectively.

ACS travels to Gulfport, Miss. on Thursday, Oct. 3 to take on Christian Collegiate before hosting Pensacola Christian and Bayshore at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 and Tuesday, Oct. 8.