The Lady Farmer volleyball team begins their quest for playoffs tonight, the road to which begins in Flower Mound. The team (17-5) opens first district play on the road against the Lady Jaguars, 17-9 according to Dallasnews.com.

Team effort is something senior Portia Okafor feels is needed when facing Flower Mound.

“I think we are going to play extremely well because of the way we play with a new atmosphere and this desire to win each or every point and work for it together,” Okafor said.

Senior Kristyn Nicholson said that the district opener will present a challenge for the Lady Farmers.

“They have pretty good girls, and they are also a pretty tall team, and they are going to play a pretty good defense, and they have shown how good they have been during preseason,” Nicholson said. “We just have to be able to adjust well to what they are doing and do it fast, and if we can do that we will be fine.”

Okafor stressed what the team needs to keep doing well or improve on to be successful in district.

“We need to make sure we are taking each practice seriously, and we are working together and helping each other out when one is feeling frustrated and mentally weak,” Okafor said.

Several teams in the district had strong non-district records and that makes it an even bigger competition for the four playoff spots. Nicholson explained what the team needs to do with the talent she said they have.

“We need to be able to play defense against the team, because we probably have the hardest district in Texas,” Nicholson said. “We need to keep leaning on each other, because the talent is there.”

Both Okafor and Nicholson named Coppell as the top team in the district.

“The girls have been playing club there and have been state champs two years a row and they are not going to be easy,” Nicholson said. “We have to just play our best against them. No game is going to be easy against anybody.”

This is head coach Libby Rodriguez’ second year here, and she revealed her thoughts on how she has settled into the position.

“I love this school and the people I work with everyday,” Rodriguez said. “ And the icing on the cake is I just absolutely love my girls. They make it worth getting up everyday, and they are the ones that put a smile of my face.”

Rodriguez shared her view of how the seniors have taken the lead for this new year of play.

“I think that the new players add another dimension to our team,” Rodriguez said. “Our seniors are doing a great  job of leading this team, and the new players are working hard and following their seniors.”

Nicholson added that she feels like she having seniority on the team  feels different than seasons’ past.

“I feel in charge, and this is my last year to do anything for the team and I want to do my best,” Nicholson said.

Both Nicholson and Okafor played club volleyball this summer for a team that won a national title.

Okafor reflected on how club volleyball has influenced her.

“Being a national champion exhilarating,” Okafor said. “It has helped me skill-wise and confidence-wise as well, and it just shows that the amount you put in to get something done; you will be able to accomplish other goals in the future.”

Nicholson shared how she has grown through winning a national title.

“Being a national champion gave me a lot more confidence in my ability to play, and playing at such a high level helps me bring that to practice and helps me know what to expect from the girls,” Nicholson said.

Rodriguez said getting the team playing on the same level is a priority.

“We are focusing on preparing our younger kids and getting them up to speed with our seniors,” Rodriguez said. “We are perfecting our side and focusing on bettering ourselves each game.”

Okafor said that, to be successful, the team has to get “out of our head and (play) together.”

“Talking to the girls, making sure that they are staying positive and working hard in practice will hopefully help,” Okafor said.

When comparing this year’s team to last year’s, Rodriguez sees a significant change.

“The really care about each other on and off the court,” Rodriguez said. “Everyone truly cares about each other’s success.”

Following tonight’s game at Flower Mound, the Lady Farmers will host Marcus on Tuesday.