Montgomery, Ala. – The Alabama State University Athletic Strategic Communications Office had a chance to sit down with Alabama State volleyball head coach Penny Lucas-White as her team prepares to defend the Southwestern Athletic Conference title this season.
 
What is the mantra for the upcoming season?
Penny Lucas-White: The mantra for the upcoming season is that we are going to enjoy the process. We are going to stay and enjoy the process because there are so many newcomers, so we cannot get ahead of ourselves as we began to build momentum and gel as a team. We want to create an environment where we are in the process of developing another championship mindset.
 
This is you ninth season at the helm, how have you seen yourself grow since day one?
PLW: I cannot believe that I am going into my ninth season, I have grown tremendously but mainly from last year. I think it is because I had to change and with growth comes change. I have a quote that says, "pain shows you who you really are and if you don't like feeling that pain then you have to make a change" and I felt like most of last season was painful. It was painful because of the stress we were all under as a program because everybody expected us to win. With that pain from last season I felt like I have grown the most this spring in becoming a different type coach and how I approach my team.
 
You have been very successful recently with three consecutive SWAC Championships and the team was picked to finish atop the SWAC this season, how do you keep the championship mindset for multiple years?
PLW: Prioritizing. I think it is important that we prioritize the important things like what gives us our biggest return and our biggest reward and what we are willing to sacrifice in order to get that. With that alone we, as coaches, have sat and talked about what is important when we look at our players and look at what do we need to be doing to prepare and have a depth chart, that at any given day anybody can step in and be able to contribute to our success. Prioritizing those things allowed me to eliminate extra distractions. Also being able to sacrifice and give up more of myself for the betterment of the team, whatever that is.
 
How are the newcomers coming along and adjusting to the program?
PLW: The energy in the gym has been amazing as far as their work ethic, the authenticity of who they are and what they are, their transparency that you see when they truly don't understand something and yet the times when I try and push them a little bit further they respond in a positive way. This preseason has been one of the most fulfilling season because we know we have a lot of newcomers but I have truly enjoyed the process of teaching and how they have responded to the knowledge that we have been giving them.
 
How have the returners stepped up thus far?
PLW: I am so pleased – I don't know if I can think of a word of how appreciative I am of how my returners have stepped up. It has been indescribable in watching their growth of when they need to call a timeout, talk to their teammates, step up to make a drill work, or to push themselves a little bit harder to complete a task. I don't know what word to describe them except – exceptional.
 
Where do you see the team five weeks from now?
PLW: If we are talking about potential which is never tangible unless you show up and do that, I think we have a great upside to us. We have to pray that we all stay injury free and continue to work hard. Five weeks from now if I had to reevaluate because I know who I am, I am going to say that we are not there yet and that we have a lot more work to do because the road of success is always under construction.
 
Any last words?
PLW: The best is yet to come!
 
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The Lady Hornets season begins with the SWAC/MEAC Challenge hosted by Alabama State at Lockhart Gymnasium from Aug. 30-31. Alabama State plays South Carolina State (1 p.m.) and Florida A&M (7 p.m.) on the first day of the challenge. The Lady Hornets wrap up the weekend with a 3 p.m. contest against Delaware State on Aug. 31 at 3 p.m.
 
To view the complete 2019 volleyball schedule, visit bamastatesports.com.
 
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