Niceville volleyball is coming off a first-round playoff loss to Horizon last season. But there’s already reason to believe the Lady Eagles will be much improved.

• For starters, the program lost just one senior from last year’s roster: Kiera Bess. Everyone else is back, and those contributors should only continue to get better.

“I have seven seniors, and we have a lot on offense that are younger, but we’re here to win,” head coach Karson Jessup said.

And so far, the Lady Eagles have done exactly that. Niceville opened with an impressive preseason outing Saturday that included a sweep of Choctaw, then continued its strong start with a dominant sweep over Navarre.

At the core of this Lady Eagles squad is sophomore outside hitter Kate Jannazo. As a freshman, Jannazo was a force for Niceville, recording 242 kills, 203 digs, 27 assists and 15 blocks. And there’s reason to believe she’s only getting better.

• “I think she’s going to continue to progress like she did last year, and she’s going to make plays when she’s supposed to, and I’m excited to see her and what she is in the future,” Jessup said.

Claire Ivey offers much-needed support for Jannazo on the outside, while Anna Sutter is a sturdy presence in the middle, with both having more than 100 kills last season. Katherine Newkirk forms a brick wall at the net, consistently making blocks.

But what truly holds this Lady Eagles squad together is its senior leadership: Carnley Summerlin and Aprille Trotter.

Summerlin, the team’s server, had 45 assists last year, while Trotter, the team’s libero, had 327 digs. The two bring contrasting styles of leadership that complement each other.

“They provide such different aspects when it comes to leadership. Aprille is more lead by example, and Carnley is a gamer. They have really great attributes, and they really balance each other out,” Jessup said.

Overall, Jessup is most impressed by the grit the Lady Eagles have shown early on.

“We are showing a lot of grit. We are showing that we can come out and make big plays at big times, and that’s the exciting part about it,” Jessup said.

Still, Jessup sees room for improvement.

“Serve and pass can always be cleaned up,” Jessup said.

But if things continue to hold to form, it could be a special year for Niceville volleyball.