MELBOURNE, Fla. (Volleyball) – The start of preseason for Florida Tech volleyball on Monday coincided with the debut of Amy O’Brien as the Panthers’ head coach.  

“I didn’t get much sleep last night because I’ve been looking forward to today,” she said. “I was so excited and couldn’t be happier to coach these girls.”

By all accounts, the former Panther liked what she saw in the team’s first three practices. In the first workout at 7 a.m., they focused on conditioning. As a team, they ran a mile and most finished under six minutes and 30 seconds. At 11 a.m., they worked on fundamentals and put all phases of the game together during the last session at 7 p.m.

“I was really pleased with the girls,” she said. “They came back ready to compete and in shape. They had a lot of enthusiasm, were competitive and practiced well. We have a lot to improve on, but I’m pleased with the start.

“Our upperclassmen are holding our freshmen and newcomers accountable. They are setting the tone for the season early, showing their teammates how things need to be done and the need to come to the gym ready to work. The freshmen are building off that. They’re not scared to work hard or timid. They seem to be fitting in well with the team.”

The Panthers will hold three sessions one more time on Tuesday and drop down to two-a-days the remainder of the week.

FIT will open the season at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Azalea Classic in Valdosta, Ga. on Aug. 31. The Panthers will oppose Albany State and host Valdosta State in day one of the classic.