Photo courtesy of Molly Bird
The Hampton-Dumont-CAL volleyball team is nearing the end of an eight-day stretch between matches, having last competed on Tuesday, October 1 in a 3-1 win over Garner-Hayfield-Ventura. Head Coach Sarah Miller says it’s given the team time to focus on development as the postseason nears.
“I’m trying to give opportunities of just different scenarios and making sure, trying to build that consistency, their confidence,” Miller says. “Like, ‘Hey, in this serve receive, we can get out of this. How do we get that big kill? What offense are we running on that first good pass?’ And then the opportunity for different players, kind of changing up lineups, playing those different positions and seeing how they react within those different rotations. So I think it’s just trying to give them a lot of reps, a lot of opportunities to make that setting-hitting connection, giving the passers the opportunity just to practice good form and that repetition.”
The Bulldogs have been engaged in several close sets, including 11 decided by five or fewer in the last eight matches. Miller likes her team’s ability to make clutch plays in close matches.
“One thing I’m learning about this team is that they really like to come back from being behind too, which is not always something that I enjoy, but I enjoy seeing them persevere and work through that. I think a lot of times we could give up, and we’ve done that in years past, and that is not what this team is showing me. It really doesn’t matter how much we’re down by, they’re always giving a fight, and they seem to put things together. And it really goes, in my opinion, to how well they work together. We all make mistakes, and I feel like anytime a player makes mistakes, everyone just moves on from it and tries to pick that player up and really try to get to that next point.”
Hampton-Dumont-CAL (11-8, 3-2 NCC) will host Iowa Falls-Alden Thursday on 104.9 KLMJ.
Sarah Miller interview:
