Photos: Kilgore Lady Dogs’ volleyball camp draws nearly 100

Published 3:54 pm Monday, July 21, 2025

KILGORE — Nearly 100 girls filled the Kilgore High School gym for three days of summer volleyball camp led by the Lady Dogs’ head coach Mika Hubbard last week.

Hubbard and assistant coaches Marissa Coop and Gabby Moore led the campers through rigorous passing, serving and other offensive and defensive exercises while reviewing basics and form, and had the girls put those skills into action with games at the end of each session from Tuesday to Thursday.

The 7th and 8th grade group was the biggest with nearly 50 participants, up from around 30 last summer. The ninth grade group had 15 girls and the rest made up a large 1st through 6th grade group.

Hubbard and coaches were pleased with the effort and high attendance this year, a great sign of the growth and strength of Kilgore volleyball. The camp was open to volleyball players from nearby school districts, but the vast majority are current and future Lady Dogs.

“Their commitment has surpassed our expectations. Not only are they coming to camp in the afternoon, they’re still at summer workouts in the mornings. So they’re doing double duty right now,” said Hubbard, who is heading into her second year leading the program. “It’s growing from last year and they’re excited to play.”

Earlier this summer, the Lady Dogs fielded three teams playing in summer league games at Henderson.

Kilgore was 13-31 overall in 2024, taking on a tough pre-season against several 5A and 6A programs, and finished with a 5-9 record in district play, improving on a 1-10 district performance in 2023.

Athletic practices for the fall 2025 season officially start on Friday, Aug. 1 and first scrimmages are on Aug. 8. Look for the Kilgore News-Herald’s 2025 volleyball season previews in the coming weeks.