Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette The Bulldogs’ Delaney Heinonen readies to serve during a match against West Iron County during the 2016 season.

HANCOCK — Sarah Geiger is in her fifth year as the head volleyball coach at Hancock High School. Despite a tough losing season last year (3-10), Geiger is hopeful that her returning players can turn that around and make it a winning season.

“We lost only a few seniors last year,” said Geiger. “I now have eight seniors this year.”

With such a large group of returning players, Geiger has been strategizing who needs to go where on the volleyball court.

“I am changing people around and working on some new positioning,” she said. ” For the juniors coming up, I am trying to find out who will be the best fit and where their talents lie.”

Among those girls Geiger is excited about, is senior D’Andra Kero.

“She is hitting her stride and will be a force to reckon with as an outside hitter. Also her hits are looking good in the back row.”

Gieger added that she has been equally impressed with Karena Holstrom as a outside hitter and a defensive specialist.

“Senior Maddie Johnson is our setter and has been phenomenal in practice,” Greiger said.

The Hancock Bulldogs will compete in the newly created WestPAC-B (small schools) Conference.

Geiger has mixed feelings on the change.

“It’s good to be playing different teams,” she said. “I like the variety. However, being so far up north, it will be a lot of travel.”

The team will open up their home schedule on Thursday, Aug. 30, against Lake Linden-Hubbell.