First-year Colquitt County volleyball coach Julia Okongwu talks with her team during its 3-0 victory over Mitchell County on Tuesday.

MOULTRIE – The Colquitt County volleyball team won three straight sets from Mitchell County on Tuesday on the William Bryant Court and will get a chance to start the season with two straight victories when Valdosta visits at 7 p.m. Thursday.

It was a team with a new coach and a number of new faces that won the first set 25-9, the second 25-10 and the third 25-7.

“I thought they did very well,” said new head coach Julia Okongwu, who headed up the junior varsity team the last two seasons. “It was their first time in a game situation and they had some nervousness, but they served well and the setters are getting better.”

Okongwu called the first match of the season “a learning experience.”

“They are learning from their mistakes,” she said. “And this gave me a chance to see what they can do.”

The Lady Packers were 10-22 last season after posting a 3-23 record in 2018.

Okongwu liked the performance turned in on Tuesday by Lilly Fykes.

“She got some good kills,” Okongwu said. “She has definitely improved over last year.

“She has gotten so much better with her technique.”

Ava Dickens, who played for Okongwu on the junior varsity team last season, had several kills as an outside hitter.

“She has really come a long way,” Okongwu said. “She moved around very well out there.”

Autumn Hampton returns from last year’s team and played well as a middle blocker, said Okongwu, who also praised the performance of Ashley Ma.

The Colquitt County junior varsity won both of its sets on Tuesday against Mitchell County.

The junior varsity Lady Packers team will play at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday against Valdosta before the 7 p.m. varsity game.