The Edinburg Wildcats enter the 2026 volleyball season with plenty of new faces in new roles, but head coach Sarah Lindsay believes her team is beginning to find its identity.
After losing five seniors who were starters a year ago, the Wildcats are facing a rebuilding season. However, Lindsay has already seen significant growth from her players during preseason practices.
“We’re in a rebuilding season,” Lindsay said. “We had five seniors last year, and they were our starters, so all of these girls are having to set up, play new roles.”
With several players moving into unfamiliar positions, Lindsay has emphasized hustle, attitude and giving maximum effort.
“I’m expecting from them is hustle, their attitudes, like, them giving everything they can at 110%,” Lindsay said.
One of the biggest areas of focus has been building the mental side of the game. Lindsay has challenged her players through team exercises designed to teach leadership, communication and how to respond when things become difficult.
The Wildcats have already seen those lessons translate onto the court.
“They learned how to pick each other up, because in a game, you’re going to get frustrated,” Lindsay said. “You have to keep going.”
That message of picking one another up has become a common theme throughout the team.
Senior Reagan Swinger is one of several players stepping into a larger role this season. The Wildcats are young, but Swinger believes the group has what it takes to compete.
“We are very young,” Swinger said. “We had 20 wins last year. I feel like we can definitely make it this year.”
Swinger, a sophomore, is also embracing the opportunity to play varsity volleyball while helping Edinburg prove that a small school can compete.
“We’re really trying to prove that we can do it as a small school,” Swinger said. “We don’t have many people, but we are young.”
Swinger also believes team chemistry will be critical. After dealing with negativity and drama last season, the Wildcats have made a conscious effort to communicate better and keep one another encouraged.
“We’re really trying to have no drama,” Swinger said. “We’re talking things out. We’re not arguing.”
Senior Adalyn Watson is another important leader for the Wildcats. Having played varsity since her freshman year, Watson understands the nerves that come with stepping onto the court at a young age.
Now, she is using that experience to help Edinburg’s younger players.
“I’ve been working really hard to just try to calm their nerves down a lot,” Watson said. “If they make a mistake, it’s okay. I did the same thing.”
Watson has also embraced a larger role as a setter and hitter while working to build trust with her teammates.
With four underclassmen expected to play significant varsity roles, Watson knows communication and trust will be important as the Wildcats develop their lineup.
Senior Paisley Pruett is another key piece of Edinburg’s roster. After suffering an ACL injury midway through last season, Pruett spent seven months working her way back to the court.
Now healthy enough to return, she is ready to make the most of her senior season.
“I pushed my way seven months to get back to where I am now, and I’m able to play this year,” Pruett said.
Pruett knows the Wildcats have plenty to prove after losing so much experience from last year’s team, but she believes the group is capable of putting together a strong season.
“I’d say a lot of negativity,” Pruett said when asked what the team hopes to overcome from last season. “We need to pick each other up more than bring each other down.”
That mentality is exactly what Lindsay hopes will define this year’s Wildcats.
Edinburg will have just three seniors, while several sophomores are being asked to step into major varsity roles. Lindsay said the biggest challenge for those younger players is confidence, but she has already seen that confidence beginning to grow.
The Wildcats are also welcoming new assistant coach Hannah Harris, who Lindsay says has been a tremendous addition to the program.
“Hannah has been a great help,” Lindsay said. “She has great ideas, and she’s dedicated to the girls as much as me, if not more.”
For Edinburg, the goal is simple: continue improving, build confidence and find a way to compete together.
Last season’s Wildcats won 20 games, setting a high standard for the young team entering 2026. While Lindsay emphasizes that improvement itself is a victory, her players have their sights set on reaching that 20-win mark once again.
With a young roster, new roles and a renewed focus on positivity and team chemistry, the Edinburg Wildcats are ready to see what they can accomplish.
If the growth seen during preseason continues into the regular season, this rebuilding season could quickly become a season of opportunity for Edinburg.
