The Adairsville High volleyball team finds itself looking beyond wins and losses this season.

The Lady Tigers, who don't boast much experience, instead are focusing on more important goals for a program hoping to get off the ground after last year's winless season (0-10, 0-4 Area 6-AA/A).

"A lot of (our girls), this is their first year ever playing so they're trying to learn the rules," said Adairsville's first-year coach Jessica Rivers, a Lady Tigers' assistant the previous two seasons. "We've told 'em, don't get me wrong, wins and losses are important, (but) it's not as important as learning a new skill, or improving on something they need to work on."

Serving, she said, is one area where Adairsville could use improvement.

"I don't know why they can't get the ball over the net," Rivers added. "I don't know if it's arm strength or what."

The Lady Tigers, who have played four matches thus far, have steadily improved in that area of weakness.

"They're have been individual strengths," Rivers said of the strides her team has made through its first few games of the season. "They're now getting it over the net."

Another area of improvement seems to be team cohesion, an important development since Adairsville didn't often show enough through its frustrating 2009 season.

"One of the things we're focused on is teamwork and team unity because last year there was a lot of bickering and arguing," Rivers said.

"Last year, we didn't have as much of a team (concept) as we do this year," added senior Katie Thomas. "We weren't united. ... (This season is) not so much (about) winning as much as keeping a team atmosphere."

So far, the Lady Tigers have made good on that goal, according to their coach.

"They're has seemed to be more team unity," Rivers said. "A lot of the upperclassmen are helping the underclassmen. ... Katie and Ashley (Metroka) are my two captains, and they lead the stretching and everything for us during practice."

"During practices, we'll watch them (younger teammates) as they practice," said Metroka, a junior.

If those teammates aren't doing something, she and Thomas step in to offer assistance.

"Me and Katie take 'em aside and help them," Metroka continued. "It's helped a bunch."

The two captains, a year apart, can relate to where their younger teammates are coming from.

"We both started out as the only freshmen on the team," Thomas explained.

Rivers, whose sports background has primarily been in basketball and softball, said Thomas and Metroka even help her whenever she may not know something.

Even with improved team unity, the Lady Tigers have yet to turn cohesiveness into victories on the court, losing to Rome three times -- most recently Tuesday -- as well as once to Murray County.

But Adairsville has played better early on than it did last year, said its team captains.

"We've already improved a lot since last year," Thomas said. "We've already improved in our first three games."

"We know our rotations a lot better," Metroka said. "We know how each other works."

"We've already come as close as we did last year (to winning)," said Thomas, trying to put things in perspective.

If the Lady Tigers fall short of improving their record, Rivers hopes all the girls that will be eligible to come out next season -- there are 18 non-seniors -- return next season to aid in building the Adairsville volleyball program.

"Hopefully, they'll stick with (volleyball) and continue to improve," she said.

Adairsville, which plays in Area 6-AA/A again this year, will play at North Murray Thursday, where it also will face Ridgeland. Its match with the host Lady Mountaineers, a second-year school that is also winless at 0-10, will be the region opener for both teams.