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As the school year approaches, so does volleyball season. This year Clearwater, Orchard, and Ewing will form the Summerland Bobcats. The co-op causes the team to move from a Class D2 to a C2 team.

This means the competition level may get a lot harder. However, Bobcats Head Coach Suz Funk is already planning for the season.

Funk stated, "Bringing girls up to this level is going to take a lot of hard work on all of our parts. Playing at the C2 level is going to present different challenges. A faster pace game with teams running quicker offense. (We will be) trying to adjust to that tempo to compete with teams."

With the move to C2, fans, players and coaches may wonder how power points will affect the Bobcats.

Funk said, "Athletic directors have worked hard getting our schedule together for us to prepare for the season. We have some tournaments with higher level competition this year that could help with power points. Division of teams always factors in for points."

The team has kept busy with summer leagues. Funk has seen good things happen.

" We are looking forward to getting into a daily routine with these athletes, getting to know each other better and building team unity. Excited to see the great things we can do together as one team," she said.

Although the competition level will get harder, the Bobcats saw first hand, this summer, the pace of the game.

First serve for the Bobcats will be Aug. 29, when Summerland will host a triangular with West Holt and Elkhorn Valley.

Other contests include:

• Sept. 3, triangular at Central Valley;

•Sept. 5, triangular at Plainview;

• Sept. 10, double triangular at Stuart;

• Sept. 14, Creighton tournament;

• Sept. 15, Summerland triangular with Creighton and Boyd County;

• Sept. 21, Ord Invitational;

• Sept. 24, O'Neill at Creighton;

• Sept. 26, Humphrey/Lindsey Holy Family, site to be determined;

• Oct. 1, Summerland triangular with Boyd County and Niobrara Verdigre;

• Oct. 3, North Central;

• Oct. 10, at Neligh-Oakdale;

• Oct. 15, Elkhorn Valley;

• Oct. 21, NVC tournament.