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“They’re so bought in already that you can tell they intrinsically have that fire to do better.”
— Hope Pawlik, head coach
The Lady Wildcats varsity volleyball team is preparing for the 202526 season with a new leader and a renewed sense of purpose after going winless in district play last fall.
First-year Head Coach Hope Pawlik has laid the groundwork to bounce back from Elgin’s 0-12 campaign, focusing on rebuilding team culture over the offseason. She said her athletes are developing both on and off the court with an emphasis on volleyball fundamentals and personal growth.
“We have made a lot of impact culturally with a lot of structure put in,” Pawlik said. “One of my goals was to ensure that we have a lot of girls working on volleyball skills, but also becoming good people and good women. That will translate to the court.”
Early signs point to progress, according to Pawlik. She said preseason scrimmages showed major improvement, with players staying positive and rallying out of tough stretches.
“A lot of parents said we had night-and-day differences,” Pawlik said. “The girls got down in a slump in one of the games but were able to dig out of it and just stayed positive — and that’s something we focused on early.”
Pawlik credited part of the turnaround to refining fundamental skills and shifting some players to positions that better suit their strengths. She said there is a renewed sense of determination among the roster — particularly its three seniors, Bella Navejas, Itzel Greenfield and Kayma Shuler.
“They are making sure we’re all doing the right things,” Pawlik said. “They are making cheers and teaching each other how to do the runout. They’re so bought in already that you can tell they intrinsically have that fire to do better.”
The Lady Cats opened the season after press time Aug. 12 against Bastrop and will compete in the Wimberley Tex Fest this weekend at Wimberley High School.
