If the Battlefield volleyball team cannot qualify for the Northwest Regional tournament this year, the question will have to come up: when is it going to get any easier?

The deck seems to be stacked in favor of Battlefield this year in the newly aligned Cedar Run District. The Bobcats boast eight seniors and four juniors at a time when the district has three new teams in the six-school conference.

Meanwhile, traditional powerhouses Loudoun Valley and Heritage have also jumped out of the district in favor of Group AA state contenders Broad Run and Freedom-South Riding joining the district. On top of that, the region is undergoing a bit of an experiment by allowing the top three teams to qualify instead of just the top two.

A team can secure an automatic bid by winning the regular season title. If that team then loses before the district tournament championship, the two finals then secure bids of their own. If the regular season champion does make it to the tournament finals, then the opposing team will automatically qualify. Two other teams will then have a play-in game to secure the third seed.

So right from the get-go, Battlefield has a 50 percent chance of making it to the finals based on numbers alone.

While head coach Chris Lem likes his team's chances, he's still intent on making sure his players understand that they can be vulnerable in any match without focus.

"With our district, you have to play each night. Anybody can win as we saw last year," said Lem. "That's one of the great things about our district and our region, we've got one of our most competitive volley regions and districts in the state. We definitely have to be on our toes every year."

As for his own team, "Historically, we have nothing to lose at this point. We know where we've been. That's in the past... (The) girls have big ambitions, big goals."

Senior Brigette Boyd, one of three captains, exudes that ambition as strongly as any of the players. Not only does she boast a "strong" grade point average a year after earning "Most Improved Player" status, according to Lem, but her work for different charities sets her apart.

For instance, she is organizing a service night with the Potomac Nationals minor league baseball team in Woodbridge in an effort that's her own brain-child.

"She's actually doing other things around the sport (of volleyball) to support good causes," said Lem of his outside hitter.

Harnessing initiative like that and translating it to work on the volleyball court is something the players have successfully done themselves so far in the pre-season.

From student-initiated weight-lifting, to conditioning and training, Lem explained that individual leadership is a big crux of what makes this team tick.

"What's different from the past, it's mostly student driven rather than we tell them what to do," said Lem.

Boyd is joined in the team's leadership ranks by returning captain Arianna Gore and libero Sofia Gasperino, who's become a vocal leader entering her senior year.

Meanwhile, Hanna Radhi and Emily Burtch are set to be a force near the net as the two juniors check in at about 6-foot-1 each. Radhi's club team ended up playing in national tournaments the last two years, giving Battlefield a first in that department.

Her job will be to help the team block and hit in the middle with Burtch assisting as the team's other primary middle player.

Defensively, they should be able to "cover the court a lot more than in the past," said Lem. "They'll be taking advantage of their height at the net."

Boyd will be complemented by Julie Leavitt in the outside game while presenting "very different styles," according to Lem. He described Boyd as more of a power hitter while Leavitt tends to "go after the spots. It's a little more different."

Radhi's older sister Noura is set to be one of five right-side players, joining senior classmates Gore, Kimmy Brady and Kiera Orris. Annalie Robinson can also expect to see time as part of 6-2 offenses while Gore could play in 5-1 set-ups.

Gore's main role will be as the team's lead setter with Robinson as her back-up. Gore backed up graduated senior Allie Rash last season in that position, "so she's very comfortable," said Lem.

"The setter has to be the leader on the court and she knows how to talk to the girls and how to run the offense," he added.

Serving at libero along with Gasperino is senior defensive specialist Taylor Anderson, who is also someone that favors hitting the ball from the back row as opposed to just digging and passing.

Junior Ashley Young is up from the junior varsity team as a utility player and is one player Lem is grooming to be a potential on-court leader for the 2012 season.

Battlefield has two games in particular circled on the team's calendar, both of which are matches against arch-rival Stonewall Jackson. Lem also mentioned that Broad Run and Freedom bring in a great deal of talent despite being in a higher group level and that Osbourn and Patriot "are going to be sneaky" this season.

"I guarantee you they will find a way to get into the mix somehow," said Lem. "Whatever the bottom is in our district, it's going to be interesting this season."