Fuqua School’s varsity girls basketball team returns to action after the program did not field a team during the 2018-19 season, and while the Lady Falcons are lacking in experience, they are not lacking for an ability to learn.

The team is 0-6 to start the 2019-20 campaign, but Head Coach MacKenzie Pigg said, “We’re definitely progressing. We have a very, very young team.”

Fuqua features three seniors, two sophomores and six freshmen.

“You can see they’re kind of starting to understand not only what we’re doing but just the sport in general; (this) is kind of what we’re trying to work on,” Pigg said.

She comes to the team after playing hoops throughout her high school years for Amherst County High School and then accumulating coaching experience in other sports, including girls volleyball at Fuqua.

She has straightforward expectations for the Lady Falcons this season.

“Honestly, I think my expectations are just that everybody kind of exceeds what they expected from it,” she said. “ … I’m hoping that they can see their skills progress not only individually but as a team.”

The coach cited senior guards Abbie Schmidt and Charlotte Haney as highly important to the squad.

“Abbie is definitely one of my main leaders, and Charlotte’s a really good leader as well, not only being the oldest, they can really talk to anyone on the team and really explain things,” Pigg said.

Fuqua returns to action Wednesday, Jan. 8, when it visits Miller School of Albemarle at 5 p.m.