To overcome unexpected injury-related obstacles, the girls volleyball team is learning to adapt to unexpected changes through camaraderie and support between older and younger players.
According to girls volleyball coach Cori Watson, the team has suffered multiple injuries that have caused players to be unable to play in games and practices.
“The way that we’re overcoming [injuries] is to just turn to our younger players,” Watson said, “giving them opportunities to play high-level volleyball and to step up and earn their spots.”
Girls volleyball assistant coach Ryan Stinson said that they train their players to be “flexible.”
“I think in a year where we’ve had a lot of ups and downs, it’s been important that we’ve had flexibility on our team and the girls have shown that,” Stinson said.
The coaches attempt to coach their players to play all-around volleyball, not just one position to create “flexible players” to prepare for obstacles.
“We try to coach volleyball players, and not specific positions,” Stinson said.
The teams change every year, causing new people to be on the team and different groups of girls on the court.
“You have players leave, new players come in, so it’s always a different group of girls, it’s always a different team that’s out there,” Stinson said. “The returning players have been mentors to the younger girls and I think that’s been important.”
The older players mentoring the younger girls helps them to feel more comfortable on the court and also helps them to learn through their mistakes.
“I think that especially our older and more experienced athletes, who are returning players, are doing a really good job at making those newer players feel comfortable,” Watson said, “[and] making them feel welcome and giving them opportunities to make those good mistakes.”
Freshman Stella Powers feels that the upperclassmen on the team helped her feel more comfortable on the court.
“They really took me under their wings,” Powers said.
According to Stinson, the players have been putting in hard work since May to prepare for the season.
“I think it’s critical that we’ve had a lot of girls coming [to preseason practices] since May,” Stinson said.
These preseason practices help the players to get straight to practice and help them learn how to be prepared for the season ahead.
“It’s almost become routine that they’ve been jumping into practice, they know what’s going on,” Stinson said. “They know the feedback and they know how to play the game because they’ve been here, coming to open gyms, day in and day out.”
Along with putting in hard work during the preseason, the players are also motivated throughout practice.
“They are driven to get better in practice, and they are determined to stay in matches regardless of the score,” Watson said. “This is a hardworking team and they have a lot of enthusiasm and energy.”
