Volleyball strives for consistency, stability

Head coach Nicole Ryan feels optimistic about the team's future despite a rocky start. "I feel like we're growing and learning and developing after every match," says Ryan. "I'm hopeful that our girls are going to figure it out and turn things around and be successful in conference."

The Lady Corsairs currently sport a 4-11 record, 1-4 in Western State Conference play, and sit in second-to-last place in the conference.

Ryan says that the consistency throughout each game is key to reaching the team’s goal of placing high enough within the conference to earn a bid for the state tournament.

"They're really talented, and they're really solid practice players," Ryan says. "I think that they get a little insecure, or doubts creep in during a match, and that affects how they play. I feel if they can put that past them, everyone is beatable in our conference."

Sophomore captain and setter for the team Avery Rice is confident in the growth of her team and feels that the technical aspects of the game have improved throughout the season.

"We've made our sets a lot faster, and we've gotten our offense off, and our defense is getting better," says Rice.

As far as the issues that have caused the team to flounder during the early goings of the season, Rice suggests that the girls' mentality has room for improvement.

"I think we just get in our own heads, and our mental state isn't completely there all the time," she says. "We have really good moments in the game, but then we just let other things affect how we're thinking on the court, so if we can block all of that out, we're going to be great."

Although the turbulence of certain sports teams revolves around the chemistry within the team, Rice maintains that there is no such problem with her team.

"I think that we have come a long way," she says. "We've become a family."

Freshman outside hitter Jade Morning, who has been one of the key players on the team, echoes Rice's sentiments.

"This is the closest team I've had — definitely one of my favorite teams and coaches," Morning says.

While the team has floundered thus far, members retain hope of being able to secure a spot in the state tournament at the end of the season.

"I've been coaching for twenty plus years, and this is probably one of my favorite teams to coach," Ryan says. "They would run through walls if we ask them."