With only two returning seniors, the Ballard Beavers volleyball team will rely on youth as they seek another playoff run in KingCo this season.

Ballard played well enough to beat Garfield in a Jamboree game on September 4, but the short exhibition match exposed the team's weaknesses.

"Jamboree was fun. It was good for us to see what we need to work on and how we match up," said Team Captain Katie Miller.

The next day, Head Coach Tami Reese gathered her players in practice and told them to make fewer errors, serve tougher and play with intensity all the time.

"We looked all right yesterday (against Garfield). We need to minimize mistakes and we will do great," Reese said.

"The hitting and passing errors showed," said Reese, now in her tenth year as coach at Ballard. She is a Ballard graduate and was on the volleyball team, coached by Al Lowe, who is now her assistant.

Reese said the team is pretty young and the players who are returning, did not play much last year.

Of the seven returnees, only two had significant playing time on the varsity squad.

The 2005 Beavers were loaded with senior talent in Selena Voelker, Karlin Castor-Peck, Erin Baumler and Kim Geddes. They helped lead Ballard to the post season.

Now those veterans have moved on and the youth movement has taken over.

"We are young, but we will be good. We get along well and have good chemistry. We are not perfect on anything, we will work on passing, serving and hitting," said Miller.

Reese said the goal is to always make the playoffs.

"We will go after every ball. We are not that tall, we need to serve and pass well. Make the other team make mistakes," said Reese.

The young players are listening to the coaching staff. "They are such a good group. They want to work hard. We push them and they want to be better," said Reese.

Ballard and Garfield are the top Seattle teams in KingCo. Eastsiders Inglemoore, Bothell and Woodinville present the biggest challenge in the league.

Reese is assisted by Lowe, Ted Young and Karin Hoover.