MOULTRIE – The Colquitt County volleyball team is making strides in its first season under new coach Julia Okongwu.

She hopes some of that improvement will be on display on Saturday when the Lady Packers play host to the Region 1-7A tournament.

The Lady Packers will play all three of their matches on the William Bryant Court in the main gymnasium.

Colquitt will face Camden County 2 p.m.; Lowndes at 3 p.m. and Tift County at 4 p.m.

In the side gymnasium, Lowndes will meet Tift County at 2 p.m.; Camden will play Tift County at 3 p.m.; and Camden and Lowndes will square off at 4 p.m.

The Lady Packers won three straight sets from Mitchell County last week to open the season, winning the first set 25-9, the second 25-10 and the third 25-7.

“I thought they did very well,” said Okongwu. “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 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 against Mitchell County.

After Colquitt fell 25-14, 25-15 to Highland Christian Academy and 25-8, 25-13 to a strong Tift County team in Valdosta last Saturday, the Lady Packers finished the day taking down Thomas County Central, 25-22, 25-14.

“They are making progress,” said Okongwu. “It’s amazing how much they are learning.

“We are all new to each other. We just want them to trust in our judgment and believe in our system.”

Okongwu said her team played “OK,” but “We need to learn to capitalize on the other team’ mistakes.”

The team also is trying to learn to play with confidence, she said.

“Everything is mental,” she said. “You can’t let yourself be discouraged before the game. You just have to tell yourself you can do it.”

The junior varsity volleyball team also “is coming together,” Okongwu said.

On Saturday, the JV Lady Packers lost to Valdosta’s ninth-grade team, but then won over the Lady Wildcats’ junior varsity team.

The JV Lady Packers are 2-5.