The club volleyball team already had its tryouts, and new coach Chris Liles said the team is ready to get the season under way and avenge its second-place finish last year.

N.C. State took second place in the Carolina Women’s Club Volleyball League last season, and it returns eight players from its squad last year. According to Michelle Vidrine, the team’s president and a junior in history, the stakes are higher, and the intensity is being kicked up a notch. And that’s because she believes the team is a step above where it was last year.

“This year our goal is to be No. 1 in our league. I feel that we have a very strong team this year — stronger than last year,” she said.

Vidrine is even confident enough to where she would like to get a match against the varisty team at some point. But it’s something she doesn’t think would ever happen.

“I would really love to see what the club team could do against the varsity team, but that probably will not happen because varsity has a set schedule,” Vidrine said.

The team has a tournament in Carmichael Gymnasium Nov. 10. And vice president Kelly Higgins, a senior in polymer and color chemistry, said the fans can expect wins and a setting that includes air-conditioning, unlike the varsity team’s Reynolds Coliseum location.

While the tournament in November is important to the team, the long-term focus is on the nationals, which take place in Texas this April. N.C. State also hopes to take down Virginia Tech — the only team to defeat the squad last year.

With Liles as the new coach, Caroline Blanton, a freshman in statistics, said she is looking forward to seeing how the team can progress throughout the year.

“I am a very competitive person. So I know I will love it, and the competition we face will make us play at our very best. We have a new coach this year, so it is going to be exciting to see how he can help and improve the team,” Blanton said.

Higgins said the team will be dealing with a lot of inexperience, but it is exciting to see everything unfold.

“Last year was really exciting with a bunch of experienced players,” she said. “I will definitely miss the camaraderie we had together, but I am excited to build a new team with new friendships. The team has community service and fundraising events planned this semester.”