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TYLER -- A season after making a run all the way to the Class A state championship game, the RTR volleyball team enters 2026 with high expectations and a new head coach at the helm.
Britany Moser takes over as the Knights’ head coach and will look to guide a talented and experienced roster back to the state tournament.
After working with the team during the summer, Moser said she was impressed by how quickly the players embraced some changes while continuing to build on the foundation already established within the program.
"Having coached the team during the summer, I was really impressed with how they embraced some new ways of doing things," Moser said. "This was already a talented team, so we are really just continuing to build off of what they already have."
The Knights’ commitment to volleyball extends beyond the high school season. Moser said several players compete on national teams and continue working on their skills throughout the year, creating a group that is accustomed to putting in the work necessary to improve.
"A number of the girls play on national teams and continue working on their game outside of the high school season," Moser said. "They do everything I ask of them."
That work ethic, combined with a senior-heavy roster, has helped create strong chemistry within the team. Moser said the connection between the players has been one of the team’s biggest strengths.
With so many seniors returning, Moser said the Knights have developed a strong sense of togetherness, describing the team’s "sisterhood" as being on another level.
The roster has also seen some adjustments in terms of positions. While the senior group has largely remained in familiar roles, several juniors have taken on new positions. Moser said those players have handled the changes extremely well.
"Each one of those junior girls has taken that challenge in stride and done a really good job adapting," Moser said. "So far, all of them have really stepped up."
With a large senior class leading the way, Moser believes the entire group will be worth watching throughout the season.
"They have played a lot of volleyball together and understand what it takes to compete," she said. "They are a talented group, but what makes them especially valuable is their versatility. We have players who can contribute in multiple positions and impact the game in all six rotations."
That versatility could prove especially important as RTR faces the challenges of another long season. Having players capable of contributing in multiple areas gives Moser flexibility with her lineup and allows the Knights to adjust to different opponents and situations.
One player Moser believes could emerge as an under-the-radar contributor is Kaysie Serryn.
"Kaysie Serryn is going to be great," Moser said. "She can hit, and hit it hard, especially from the right side or middle."
While RTR will have to replace some of the leadership lost to graduation, Moser believes the returning players have already stepped into those responsibilities and are not missing a beat.
With a talented senior class, versatile players throughout the roster and a group willing to embrace new challenges, the Knights enter the season with plenty of confidence.
After coming within one match of a state championship last season, RTR will look to use that experience as motivation as it attempts to make another deep postseason run under its new head coach.