After a rough start, the revamped Chamblee Lady Bulldogs appear to have hit their stride.

Only four starters return from last season’s Class 4-A state soccer tournament-qualifying club.

“Obviously, we’ve had to incorporate a lot of new players and learning how to play together has taken some time, so we started with some bad losses,” said Lady Bulldogs coach Curtis Engsberg.

Chamblee has since turned things around — see their 6-3 record — as team chemistry and other all-important intangibles have risen to the surface.

Engsberg, in his second year at the helm, saw his club go 13-3 and finish as Region 6-AAAA runner-up en route to earning a GHSA tourney berth.

The Lady Bulldogs later lost eight players to graduation.

Chamblee’s 2013 edition appears to be just as capable — albeit less experienced.

“There’s definitely a lot of potential and the quality of our play has improved each week,” said Engsberg.

Junior defender Ally Jones, with two full seasons of varsity experience under her belt, leads a pack of talented young guns.

The team’s other impact players include junior defender Jane Morrow and midfielders Louise McGirt (junior), Hannah Shute (freshman) and Caroline Friedman (sophomore).

While his club does adhere to the “one-match-at-a-time” adage, the Chamblee coach acknowledged a few upcoming contests on the horizon that will effectively serve as litmus tests.

Said Engsberg: “In terms of measuring sticks, we play Lakeside and Decatur the first week of April … and a potential matchup with Grady in the region playoffs all look like they could be good battles.”