The 2019 boys volleyball season will mark the first in South Mountain history. The Jaguars are at a substantial disadvantage: none have ever played competitive volleyball.

But South Mountain coach Falonia Edenburgs has experience coaching volleyball and holds the blueprint to building a successful program.

“I have been doing this for the last six years,” Edenburgs said. “I was excited because this will be my footprint. Whenever I’m done, I will be able to give it over to someone else.”

Prior to arriving at SMHS, Edenburgs coached boys volleyball at McClintock, a 5A school in Tempe.

As Edenburgs settles into her new position, she has three specific goals for the season.

“The first goal is to maintain all of my student-athletes,” Edenburgs said. “The second is to just gel in with the other sports here, as if it’s been here forever.”

It’s no secret: winning isn’t expected in the program’s first year. That isn’t Edenburgs’ top priority.

Instead, she wants the team to reach her personal definition of success.

“My third goal is to make a successful season,” Edenburgs said. “Notice I didn’t say winning; I said successful.

“I want these guys to leave out of here with a sense of volleyball and enjoyment of it.”

But winning may happen sooner than she expects.

“I feel like it’s going to be a really successful season,” student manager Aalejah Scott said.

Throughout the offseason, Edenburgs introduced the team to the game’s fundamentals while consistently putting the group through conditioning drills. In a short period of time, middle blocker Demetrius Hardeman has already witnessed improvement across the board.

“It’s funny cause the season hasn’t even started yet and you can already see how much people have improved,” Hardeman said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Because none of the Jaguars have played competitive volleyball, any progress is a step in the right direction. While there aren’t any experienced players on the roster, Edenburgs has noticed multiple standouts over the course of the offseason.

“I have a few players right now that could potentially be the leaders,” Edenburgs said. “I do have a few of them already showing that leader quality.”

One of those is Hardeman. A senior, Hardeman has lofty goals for his only season of high school volleyball.

“I want to become one of the best spikers ever and get better at blocking,” Hardeman said. “Basic drills at the net have helped me get better.”

The new program begins Tuesday against Agua Fria, followed by a road test against Alhambra and the 2019 OWL Invitational.

Even though Edenburgs isn’t banking on prompt success, her players are.

“For the tournament coming up, we want to at least make it to the finals,” freshman Jose Zepeda said. “We have the chemistry to do that.”

Winning isn’t guaranteed. Neither is success. But learning is.

“The most important one is to learn to dig yourself out of adversity,” Edenburgs said. “If you’re losing, get back up.

“I’m hoping these two games do that for us.”