Following a decade of struggles on the court, the Hayti High School volleyball squad has been infused with a major dose of positivity in the form of first-year head coach McKenzie Putman.

“I’ve told these girls,” Putman said, “that I love Hayti and I love Hayti athletics, but I’m tired of hearing about the boy’s athletics.

“We have girl athletes, and these girls can do just as great of things as the boys can, and that is my goal.”

The last time that the Indians achieved a winning season, Putman, who is in her first year of teaching math at the school, as well as guiding the volleyball program, was a freshman at Kennett High School.

Hayti won just one match last autumn, but Putman is continually emphasizing the ability and potential that her players have in order to keep them focused on the future and not the past.

“That comes strictly from the court in practice,” Putman said. “They know what we can do, and we have set our standard.

“It’s their goal to play at that standard, no matter who we’re playing.”

The Indians will open the regular season Tuesday by hosting Malden at 6:30 p.m. before hosting New Madrid County Central at 5 p.m. Thursday.

“We don’t dip to anybody in any other competition,” Putman said. “We play at a level of who we are, and we know we are based on what we have done in practice. They know that is what they can do and that is the level we play at.”

The future is bright for the Indians, not just due to the exuberance of their coach, but also the fact that seven of the 13 players are in their freshmen or sophomore seasons, so getting varsity experience now will certainly pay dividends later.

Hayti has just one senior (Iyunna Rogers) and five juniors (Jerica Allen, Isabella Dudley, Canasia Rhines, Olivia Taylor, and De’asia Williamson).

“Our strength will really have to be our team bond,” Putman said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but really, this group of girls is tight. They are friends on and off the court.

“Their communication and team bond are their strengths.”