Florala volleyball coach Joea McNeil said in order to advance in the area tournament next Monday in Kinston, her girls will have to serve and receive well.

“Serving is the biggest thing for us,” she said. “We’ve had some problems with that in the past, but the girls are really improving and doing a good job with that.

“I always tell them, ‘if you can’t get the ball over the net, the other team scores the point,'” she said. “That’s going to be the keys — serving and receiving the ball.”

The Lady Wildcats, in their first season as a volleyball team, haven’t won a match.

Despite not winning a match this season, McNeil said the team has gotten better.

“The girls have improved all season long,” she said. “I’m expecting them to do a good job (at the area tournament).”

Florala will enter the Class 1A, Area 2 tournament as the No. 3 seed. Kinston and Pleasant Home are No. 1 and 2, respectively. The top two-seeded teams will advance to the regional tournament Oct. 16.

“I’m just very proud of the girls,” McNeil said. “They’ve done a really good job, and they’ve steadily improved, that’s all I can ask for.”