Tuesday, November 23, 2010
More updates
Here's a link to the Region V website, with articles about both of our latest signees. Region V Website
Friday, November 19, 2010
First signing!
So yesterday we went down to Rogers, Texas and signed our first player for the 2011-2012 season! Cayleigh Drake, who might very well have tied for the lead in kills this year in the state of Texas with 838, is coming to play for us! A middle blocker who could also potentially play outside. I cannot tell you how excited I am. When I was hired for this job, I called my parents to let them know, then I hung up the phone and called Cayleigh to offer her. That is how highly I think of her.
Yes, I realize I can't smile. Here's a picture of her signing:
Thats her coach, Coach Rogers (who also played at Hill College) on the right. So Cayleigh will come in next year and I expect her to contribute right away. She will wear #3. Here's a link to the newspaper article about her signing: Cayleigh's signing
Speaking of #3's, our current #3 Lauren Ray signed her National Letter of Intent earlier this week to play at Henderson State! I am very proud of her. She has worked incredibly hard in the past 5 years I've known her and now she gets to go to a solid volleyball program and conference, play at a high level, and graduate with a great degree and be pretty much debt free. She has earned everything she gets.
Finally, we are in the middle of off season right now. A lot of conditioning and plyometric work, but our hitters are also learning a new type of swing that will make them very effective. You will see a different team on the court in the spring. Until next time.
Speaking of #3's, our current #3 Lauren Ray signed her National Letter of Intent earlier this week to play at Henderson State! I am very proud of her. She has worked incredibly hard in the past 5 years I've known her and now she gets to go to a solid volleyball program and conference, play at a high level, and graduate with a great degree and be pretty much debt free. She has earned everything she gets.
Finally, we are in the middle of off season right now. A lot of conditioning and plyometric work, but our hitters are also learning a new type of swing that will make them very effective. You will see a different team on the court in the spring. Until next time.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Great news
Ok I'm really falling behind on these posts. WE started off season yesterday with a lot of plyos and the girls responded really well. NOw we have another workout today and we'll see how they respond when they are sore.
Come back tomorrow for potentially great news about one of our sophomores signing to move on to a 4 year school...
Finally, here's a link to Hill College's facebook photo album of our team. Thanks to Eddie Middlebrook for taking these pictures. Facebook pictures
Come back tomorrow for potentially great news about one of our sophomores signing to move on to a 4 year school...
Finally, here's a link to Hill College's facebook photo album of our team. Thanks to Eddie Middlebrook for taking these pictures. Facebook pictures
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Tough end to season
Unfortunately, we ended our season yesterday with two tough loses. We started out against NCTC and once again, just like in the regular season, we lost to them in 5.
After a short break, we had to play Vernon in an elimination game. For some reason, our conference play-offs is double elimination. Vernon had lost to Temple earlier in the day. We started out great and won games 1 and 3, but still not playing up to our potential. Once again, we went to 5 and Vernon passed absolute nails and beat us for the first time since I've been at Hill College. A very tough way to end our season.
Some highlights of the weekend:
- Sapphire Reid had 41 kills combined in both matches
- Taylor Jones hit .400 against NCTC with 8 kills and no errors.
- Haley Goldwater averaged over 9 assistes per game
So it's the last time I get to coach Lauren Ray and Sapphire Reid, whom I first coached when they were 16. They will go to great 4 year schools (to be announced soon) and they will be an amazing asset to whichever coach gets them next. In the mean time, we have end of season interviews and I get to hit the recruiting trail in full force to watch some high school games. I'll try and post some pictures soon and maybe a highlight reel. Until next time.
After a short break, we had to play Vernon in an elimination game. For some reason, our conference play-offs is double elimination. Vernon had lost to Temple earlier in the day. We started out great and won games 1 and 3, but still not playing up to our potential. Once again, we went to 5 and Vernon passed absolute nails and beat us for the first time since I've been at Hill College. A very tough way to end our season.
Some highlights of the weekend:
- Sapphire Reid had 41 kills combined in both matches
- Taylor Jones hit .400 against NCTC with 8 kills and no errors.
- Haley Goldwater averaged over 9 assistes per game
So it's the last time I get to coach Lauren Ray and Sapphire Reid, whom I first coached when they were 16. They will go to great 4 year schools (to be announced soon) and they will be an amazing asset to whichever coach gets them next. In the mean time, we have end of season interviews and I get to hit the recruiting trail in full force to watch some high school games. I'll try and post some pictures soon and maybe a highlight reel. Until next time.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
So late
So I thought I posted some stuff earleir this week. Apparantly I did not. let me get you updated:
- We ended the regular season 16-15 overall; 5-5 in conference. This out us in 3rd place and playing NCTC in round 1 (you can see one of our games against them in another post). We went to their place last week and lost in 5, so this could be a good match. Our conference tournament in Saturday and hopefully Sunday at Brookhaven College in Dallas. We play at 12 pm on Saturday: win we play again at 7, lose at 5.
- At our region meeting, our libero Lauren Ray was named conference defensive player of the year!! Sapphire Reid was named 1st team all-conference, and Mariah Everitt, Haley Goldwater, and Brittany Berry were named 2nd team.
- We had a great sophomore night last Thursday, honoring our manager Angel Parham and both Lauiren and Sapphire with plaques and stirring speeches, Sapphire and Lauren are also getting personalized gifts which they will receive at a later date.
Thats all I've got now. I'll try and post pictures later.
- We ended the regular season 16-15 overall; 5-5 in conference. This out us in 3rd place and playing NCTC in round 1 (you can see one of our games against them in another post). We went to their place last week and lost in 5, so this could be a good match. Our conference tournament in Saturday and hopefully Sunday at Brookhaven College in Dallas. We play at 12 pm on Saturday: win we play again at 7, lose at 5.
- At our region meeting, our libero Lauren Ray was named conference defensive player of the year!! Sapphire Reid was named 1st team all-conference, and Mariah Everitt, Haley Goldwater, and Brittany Berry were named 2nd team.
- We had a great sophomore night last Thursday, honoring our manager Angel Parham and both Lauiren and Sapphire with plaques and stirring speeches, Sapphire and Lauren are also getting personalized gifts which they will receive at a later date.
Thats all I've got now. I'll try and post pictures later.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Odds and ends
So it's Saturday morning and we're about to head to Dallas to play North Lake. Just a few random points:
- We beat Cisco in 4 Thursday night. We lost game 2, but won the other 3 games by at least 9 points. This was huge for us as it was basically a play-off game. Now we are pretty much assured of 3rd place and a date with NCTC in the first round of play-offs.
- Here's a link to a write up about our match on tuesday by our SID, Eddie Middlebrook Temple recap
- Both of our sophomores have visits lined up for next weekend: one to a D1 school; the other to a D2. I'm hoping they both go well. We've had great success sending our graduating sophomores to 4 year schools to play. In fact, here's a list: Rebels Moving On And it's also a little out of date. Another players from last year, Anissa Garcia, is starting at UMHB. So thats 3 players in the past 2 years moving on to Division 1 schools, and another one of our players last year had the opportunity to go to a D1, but she really liked another school so she went there. We always tell our players to go to a place thats comfortable which is why we set up as many visits as we can.
- We will honor both of our sophomore players, Lauren Ray and Sapphire Reid, as well as our manager Angerl Parham on Thursday night before and after our match against Ranger. If you can make it we'd love to see you there!
- We beat Cisco in 4 Thursday night. We lost game 2, but won the other 3 games by at least 9 points. This was huge for us as it was basically a play-off game. Now we are pretty much assured of 3rd place and a date with NCTC in the first round of play-offs.
- Here's a link to a write up about our match on tuesday by our SID, Eddie Middlebrook Temple recap
- Both of our sophomores have visits lined up for next weekend: one to a D1 school; the other to a D2. I'm hoping they both go well. We've had great success sending our graduating sophomores to 4 year schools to play. In fact, here's a list: Rebels Moving On And it's also a little out of date. Another players from last year, Anissa Garcia, is starting at UMHB. So thats 3 players in the past 2 years moving on to Division 1 schools, and another one of our players last year had the opportunity to go to a D1, but she really liked another school so she went there. We always tell our players to go to a place thats comfortable which is why we set up as many visits as we can.
- We will honor both of our sophomore players, Lauren Ray and Sapphire Reid, as well as our manager Angerl Parham on Thursday night before and after our match against Ranger. If you can make it we'd love to see you there!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Last night versus Temple
So last night we had our annual "Red Out" match, this time against Temple. Our main goal was to continue our improvement from this past weekend and see if we can gain some revenge as Temple beat us in 3 down at their place.
We had an amazing crowd. They were loud and gave us a great home court advantage. We definitely used that as we took game 1 by a score of 25-20.
Game 2 we started off very slowly and were down by as many as 8 points. Instead of giving up, this team showed great spirit and came back to tie it up at 22. Unfortunately we made 3 mistakes and Temple won 25-22.
Game 3 was more of the same: we dug ourselves into a hole and we tried to come back but it wasn't enough and we lost 25-19. However, in game 4 we did the opposite and jumped out to a huge lead and never looked back and won 25-19.
So for the third consecutive year, we go to 5 with Temple at home. Unfortunately, this time we couldn't pull it out and lost 15-13. We sided out to get to 13-14, and had a great chance to tie it up, but we didn't execute and they took advantage of it.
So now what? We are 3-4 in conference play. We have a massively huge match tomorrow night at home against Cisco. Let me tell you the scenarios:
If we win: Most likely we get the 3rd seed in play-offs.
If we lose: We will most likely be in a 3 way tie for 3rd with only two of those teams making the play-offs. Because of our head to head record, we will probably have to compete in a play in match the week of play-offs just to get there. So basically, we need to win tomorrow.
Come and support us if you can. 6 pm at home!
We had an amazing crowd. They were loud and gave us a great home court advantage. We definitely used that as we took game 1 by a score of 25-20.
Game 2 we started off very slowly and were down by as many as 8 points. Instead of giving up, this team showed great spirit and came back to tie it up at 22. Unfortunately we made 3 mistakes and Temple won 25-22.
Game 3 was more of the same: we dug ourselves into a hole and we tried to come back but it wasn't enough and we lost 25-19. However, in game 4 we did the opposite and jumped out to a huge lead and never looked back and won 25-19.
So for the third consecutive year, we go to 5 with Temple at home. Unfortunately, this time we couldn't pull it out and lost 15-13. We sided out to get to 13-14, and had a great chance to tie it up, but we didn't execute and they took advantage of it.
So now what? We are 3-4 in conference play. We have a massively huge match tomorrow night at home against Cisco. Let me tell you the scenarios:
If we win: Most likely we get the 3rd seed in play-offs.
If we lose: We will most likely be in a 3 way tie for 3rd with only two of those teams making the play-offs. Because of our head to head record, we will probably have to compete in a play in match the week of play-offs just to get there. So basically, we need to win tomorrow.
Come and support us if you can. 6 pm at home!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Video, updates, crazy plays
So here we are, having started 2nd round of conference. This past weekend we drove up to Vernon and played a tri-match. Very important for us as we were in a 3 way tie for 3rd place with Vernon and Cisco. We came out playing great and beat Vernon in 4. Had a little hiccup in game 2 but other than that I was very happy. Brittany Berry led us with 12 kills and only 1 error on 24 swings.
We then played #9 ranked Frank Phillips. It was the first time I've ever played them and they are a solid team. They won game 1 in spite of one the weirdest plays I've ever seen: one of our outside hitters Sapphire went up to hit a 2 and got roofed, but the ball went straight back into her eye, then went back over the net and we got a kill. Here' the clip: Sapphire's kill
We turned around and won game 2. The girls played real well and I've decided to put it on line. here's the link for the entire game 2, which we won 25-20: Game 2 vs. Frank Phillips
They turned around and beat us in game 3, but game 4 was a very well played game. We went back and forth, but eventually FPC beat us 30-28. We had 2 game points but they sided out each time. I'm going to put this online as well very soon. To tell you the quality of offense for both teams, we hit .325% with 17 kills and only 4 errors. FPC played really well and I know we can take this solid play back into conference.
Other points:
- We have 2 very huge home matches this week against Temple and Cisco. Temple is Tuesday the 19th and it's Red Out night: wear red and support your Lady Rebels! We've got a lot of t-shirts to give away and a serving contest at halftime. We beat Temple at home last year and I'm hoping we can do it again.
- All of our stats and box scores are online at Stats You can get individual game box scores as well as team totals and player breakdowns. I'm hoping the rest of our conference catches up with this so you can compare us to other teams.
We then played #9 ranked Frank Phillips. It was the first time I've ever played them and they are a solid team. They won game 1 in spite of one the weirdest plays I've ever seen: one of our outside hitters Sapphire went up to hit a 2 and got roofed, but the ball went straight back into her eye, then went back over the net and we got a kill. Here' the clip: Sapphire's kill
We turned around and won game 2. The girls played real well and I've decided to put it on line. here's the link for the entire game 2, which we won 25-20: Game 2 vs. Frank Phillips
They turned around and beat us in game 3, but game 4 was a very well played game. We went back and forth, but eventually FPC beat us 30-28. We had 2 game points but they sided out each time. I'm going to put this online as well very soon. To tell you the quality of offense for both teams, we hit .325% with 17 kills and only 4 errors. FPC played really well and I know we can take this solid play back into conference.
Other points:
- We have 2 very huge home matches this week against Temple and Cisco. Temple is Tuesday the 19th and it's Red Out night: wear red and support your Lady Rebels! We've got a lot of t-shirts to give away and a serving contest at halftime. We beat Temple at home last year and I'm hoping we can do it again.
- All of our stats and box scores are online at Stats You can get individual game box scores as well as team totals and player breakdowns. I'm hoping the rest of our conference catches up with this so you can compare us to other teams.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Won another conference match
Last night we traveled to Ranger and got a great win in 3 games. It's always good to get a win on the road, and this puts us in a 3 way tie for 3rd after the first round of conference. We have a massively huge game on Saturday at Vernon. If we win that we have a great chance to qualify for play-offs. I know we will use these next few days to improve in the gym.
Notes:
- Haley Goldwater had 34 assists last night. Sapphire Reid had 16 kills and Lauren Ray had 27 digs.
Notes:
- Haley Goldwater had 34 assists last night. Sapphire Reid had 16 kills and Lauren Ray had 27 digs.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Player of the week!
Congratualtions to Sapphire Reid, who was named the Region V player of the week!! Just go to the links on the right hand side of the blog and click on the region V link and shes on the front page! Or click here: Region V
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Weekend Success
We traveled to Richland College today for a tri-match with them and Southwestern Christian College. We won both in 3, and everyone got some court time. It feels real good to get some wins under our belt, especially after our tough conference losses. Hopefully this will carry over to our next match, an away game at Ranger on Tuesday. And eating at FreeBirds is always good.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Video!!! And an update
So we moved into our second week of conference play. We had a tough 4 game loss at Cisco, which is always a tough place to play. Then we had NCTC at home, and started off great (which you'll see) and then lost in 4. In both cases our opponents played well, and we had our moments, but we are frustrated with letting good opportunities to win slip away. Hopefully we will take both matches tomorrow up in Richland.
Quick thoughts:
- Sapphire Reid had 23 kills on 40 swings last night and hit .375%. Great job.
- We got our flatscreen and new camera this week!! It makes a huge difference now that the girls can see game film with a clearer picture on a bigger screen. Also, I love having the game film on my laptop about 5 minutes after our match ends.
- I think you'll like this article about one of my former players: Athlete of the week
- Because everything is now digital, I'm going to start posting a lot more videos. Here is a rough cut of our game 1 win last night against NCTC. Game 1 vs. NCTC
Until next time!
Quick thoughts:
- Sapphire Reid had 23 kills on 40 swings last night and hit .375%. Great job.
- We got our flatscreen and new camera this week!! It makes a huge difference now that the girls can see game film with a clearer picture on a bigger screen. Also, I love having the game film on my laptop about 5 minutes after our match ends.
- I think you'll like this article about one of my former players: Athlete of the week
- Because everything is now digital, I'm going to start posting a lot more videos. Here is a rough cut of our game 1 win last night against NCTC. Game 1 vs. NCTC
Until next time!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
First week of conference
First off, as of this moment, our libero Lauren Ray is ranked #1 in the country in aces!!! She is also 16th in digs, while Sapphire Reid is top 20 in kills and Ayve Alvarado is 25th in blocks. Not too bad.
We started conference play on Tuesday with a great win at home against Vernon. It was a solid crowd for a 4 pm match and it included our President, Dr. Kappus (who was proudly wearing a Hill volleyball t-shirt). We played a very solid game, with Lauren Ray having 7 aces, and our 3 middles combining for 25 kills against only 5 errors.
We then went down to Temple on Thursday for our first conference road game. Temple is always a tough place to play. Coach Reese and their staff do a great job with the game day atmosphere and it work,s as I'm pretty sure they haven't lost a home conference match in a few years. We started out pretty well in game 1, and even had a lead at 17-15 I believe, but we failed to capitalize on some good looks and Temple won game 1.
Temple got out to a big lead in game 2 and when we traded side-outs until the end. Game 3 was similar to game 1 in that we were point for point for half the set, but then Temple pulled away. Give credit to them; they played a solid match. We're seeing what we have to do to become a winning team and hopefully we can flip the switch this week. Also, we had a great crowd in Temple. It was good to see players I used to coach as well as the parents of those players. I love having that extended family atmosphere of old players and families still seeing each other and catching up.
This week we have 4 matches. We travel to Cisco on Tuesday, which is always a tough place to play. Then we get NCTC at home on Thursday. Last year in the play-offs we beat NCTC twice, both in 5. I know they will be fired up to play us and it should be a great game. Then on Saturday we travel to Dallas to play against Richland and Southwestern Christian.
Hope you can make it out. We only have 4 more home games and student activities is doing a great job with giveaways and halftime entertainment. I just went and purchased 75 more t-shirts so we've got some stuff to give away at the games.
Finally, I want to give a huge shout out to Aaron Kalhoff and our women's basketball team who has been at every home match supporting us. It's been a huge lift for us and we will definitely return the favor when their season starts.
We started conference play on Tuesday with a great win at home against Vernon. It was a solid crowd for a 4 pm match and it included our President, Dr. Kappus (who was proudly wearing a Hill volleyball t-shirt). We played a very solid game, with Lauren Ray having 7 aces, and our 3 middles combining for 25 kills against only 5 errors.
We then went down to Temple on Thursday for our first conference road game. Temple is always a tough place to play. Coach Reese and their staff do a great job with the game day atmosphere and it work,s as I'm pretty sure they haven't lost a home conference match in a few years. We started out pretty well in game 1, and even had a lead at 17-15 I believe, but we failed to capitalize on some good looks and Temple won game 1.
Temple got out to a big lead in game 2 and when we traded side-outs until the end. Game 3 was similar to game 1 in that we were point for point for half the set, but then Temple pulled away. Give credit to them; they played a solid match. We're seeing what we have to do to become a winning team and hopefully we can flip the switch this week. Also, we had a great crowd in Temple. It was good to see players I used to coach as well as the parents of those players. I love having that extended family atmosphere of old players and families still seeing each other and catching up.
This week we have 4 matches. We travel to Cisco on Tuesday, which is always a tough place to play. Then we get NCTC at home on Thursday. Last year in the play-offs we beat NCTC twice, both in 5. I know they will be fired up to play us and it should be a great game. Then on Saturday we travel to Dallas to play against Richland and Southwestern Christian.
Hope you can make it out. We only have 4 more home games and student activities is doing a great job with giveaways and halftime entertainment. I just went and purchased 75 more t-shirts so we've got some stuff to give away at the games.
Finally, I want to give a huge shout out to Aaron Kalhoff and our women's basketball team who has been at every home match supporting us. It's been a huge lift for us and we will definitely return the favor when their season starts.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Conference is about to start!!
So on Saturday we had a nice win against North Lake. Won in 3; got some playing time for most of the team but we also got to work on some specific aspects of our game that we needed to. We remain a work in progress, but the good thing about that is we will definitely be playing at our best when play-offs come around.
Since I'm calling this the midpoint of the season, lets take a look back at some of the high points:
1. The response of our team after the coaching change. I became head coach about 4 days before the girls reported for fall camp. I cannot tell you how great they were. They did nothing but respect the new coaching staff right away and get to work. This is both a tribute to the players and to Alaena (the previous head coach) for recruiting high character individuals.
2. We started the season going 3-1 at the Brookhaven tournament, and were 2 points away from going 4-0. A fantastic start to the season with such a young team.
3. Our first home game had a fantastic crowd and was a great win. Our associate AD thinks it was an attendance record. Hopefully we can break that soon.
4. The maturation of our team in front of everyone. We still have our low points (see @Navarro and game 3 vs. Blinn) but we also have our major improvements. We're starting to be able to adjust on the fly and limiting our hitting errors.
I'm really looking forward to starting conference tomorrow and seeing what we're made of. It should be a fun ride. Come out and watch us if you can!
Since I'm calling this the midpoint of the season, lets take a look back at some of the high points:
1. The response of our team after the coaching change. I became head coach about 4 days before the girls reported for fall camp. I cannot tell you how great they were. They did nothing but respect the new coaching staff right away and get to work. This is both a tribute to the players and to Alaena (the previous head coach) for recruiting high character individuals.
2. We started the season going 3-1 at the Brookhaven tournament, and were 2 points away from going 4-0. A fantastic start to the season with such a young team.
3. Our first home game had a fantastic crowd and was a great win. Our associate AD thinks it was an attendance record. Hopefully we can break that soon.
4. The maturation of our team in front of everyone. We still have our low points (see @Navarro and game 3 vs. Blinn) but we also have our major improvements. We're starting to be able to adjust on the fly and limiting our hitting errors.
I'm really looking forward to starting conference tomorrow and seeing what we're made of. It should be a fun ride. Come out and watch us if you can!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Another update
So another week has passed without communication from yourstruly. Let me get you up to speed.
On Saturday we had a tri-match with Trinity Valley and Eastfield. We split, beating Eastfield. On Tuesday we played our first true road game of the season at a much improved Navarro. We beat them at home 2 weeks ago but we could not beat them at their place. We had a phenomenal practice Wednesday and hosted Blinn last night. One of my old club players plays for them so it was good to compete aginst her. We had our moments, including a 22-18 lead in game 2, but Blinn took us out of our game and won in 3.
So what do we do? Our effort level is getting better and our individual skills are improving. Our main goal is learning that killer mentality. We've had a lot of opportunities this year to win close matches but we haven't closed it out a lot of times. If we can learn to do this we can be ok.
We've got a home match tomorrow against North Lake and then our first conference game Tuersday at 4 pm versus Vernon. Hopefully you can make it. Also, we had pretty good halftime entertainment last night. We froze some t-shirts after we soaked them and put them in rubber bands. 2 students had a race to see who could put them on the quickest. I think it worked out ok.
Until next time...
On Saturday we had a tri-match with Trinity Valley and Eastfield. We split, beating Eastfield. On Tuesday we played our first true road game of the season at a much improved Navarro. We beat them at home 2 weeks ago but we could not beat them at their place. We had a phenomenal practice Wednesday and hosted Blinn last night. One of my old club players plays for them so it was good to compete aginst her. We had our moments, including a 22-18 lead in game 2, but Blinn took us out of our game and won in 3.
So what do we do? Our effort level is getting better and our individual skills are improving. Our main goal is learning that killer mentality. We've had a lot of opportunities this year to win close matches but we haven't closed it out a lot of times. If we can learn to do this we can be ok.
We've got a home match tomorrow against North Lake and then our first conference game Tuersday at 4 pm versus Vernon. Hopefully you can make it. Also, we had pretty good halftime entertainment last night. We froze some t-shirts after we soaked them and put them in rubber bands. 2 students had a race to see who could put them on the quickest. I think it worked out ok.
Until next time...
Friday, September 17, 2010
Finally, an update!
Ok, so I'm falling a little behind. WE played 2 matches this week, both at home. We lost to Brookhaven in 4, where we did not give ourselves a chance to win. Panola beat us in 3 last night. They are a very good team and play at a level that I want to get to all the time.
I'll have some more stuff later today, but in the meantime here is a video of two of our freshmen, Mariah Everitt and Lauran James.
Mariah & Lauran
I'll have some more stuff later today, but in the meantime here is a video of two of our freshmen, Mariah Everitt and Lauran James.
Mariah & Lauran
Monday, September 6, 2010
Toureny recap
I hope you're enjoying your Labor Day weekend. We got back from Oklahoma at 9 pm Saturday night and I've been in the office yesterday and today watching film so we can identify what we have to work on.
Let me give you a quick recap. After we beat Tyler, we had a revenge game against Paris Saturday night. We won the first game and were right with them in game 2. Unfortunately, of their last 6 points, we had 5 hitting errors/missed serves. We lost 28-26. Tough to beat a good team when we make mistakes on our side of the net. Paris then kept the foot on the gas pedal and we couldn't respond and lost in 4.
We turned around and played at 8 am the next morning and lost to Redlands in 3. It was not our best match and it went against our goal of improving as a team and individuals. We can't improve if we don't work hard at the things we can control.
Our final match was against Seward County. We played very well and won game 1 25-19. Then we were up 24-21 in game 2 and our inexperience showed up as we made 3 hitting errors in a row. We lost games 2, 3 and 4 by 2 points each. Seward did a good job of putting pressure on us and we did not execute as well as we should have.
The good news is that this is all fixable in practice and with repetition. I have no doubt we will improve this week before our next big match at home versus Navarro on Thursday. If we work hard we can be so good, it just takes the extra effort we are all learning to give.
Final thoughts:
- Ardmore, Oklahoma was fantastic.
- Great breakfast at the hotel in El Reno. I had a bowl of bacon each morning.
- We'll have a video up this week of one the freshmen.
Let me give you a quick recap. After we beat Tyler, we had a revenge game against Paris Saturday night. We won the first game and were right with them in game 2. Unfortunately, of their last 6 points, we had 5 hitting errors/missed serves. We lost 28-26. Tough to beat a good team when we make mistakes on our side of the net. Paris then kept the foot on the gas pedal and we couldn't respond and lost in 4.
We turned around and played at 8 am the next morning and lost to Redlands in 3. It was not our best match and it went against our goal of improving as a team and individuals. We can't improve if we don't work hard at the things we can control.
Our final match was against Seward County. We played very well and won game 1 25-19. Then we were up 24-21 in game 2 and our inexperience showed up as we made 3 hitting errors in a row. We lost games 2, 3 and 4 by 2 points each. Seward did a good job of putting pressure on us and we did not execute as well as we should have.
The good news is that this is all fixable in practice and with repetition. I have no doubt we will improve this week before our next big match at home versus Navarro on Thursday. If we work hard we can be so good, it just takes the extra effort we are all learning to give.
Final thoughts:
- Ardmore, Oklahoma was fantastic.
- Great breakfast at the hotel in El Reno. I had a bowl of bacon each morning.
- We'll have a video up this week of one the freshmen.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Great win!
We beat Tyler in 3 this morning! After a rough start, winning 27-25, the team won the last 2 games 25-20, 25-22. We had some very solid moments, but also some times where we played a little hesitant and soft. We are only going to get better and will learn from this experience. We play tonight at 7 against Paris. Should be a good game.
Here's a picture of the team in front of our hotel:
Here's a picture of the team in front of our hotel:
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Oklahoma!
We just got into El Reno, Oklahoma and are settled for the night. I'm pretty sure the girls were happy we got here quickly so they could watch "Jersey Shore", but then again who wouldn't be?
Our first match is at 11 am tomorrow versus Tyler, followed by a rematch with Paris at 7. I'll let you know how it goes.
Our first match is at 11 am tomorrow versus Tyler, followed by a rematch with Paris at 7. I'll let you know how it goes.
Great Win vs. Eastfield!
Last night the Lady Rebels had their first home match against Eastfield College, which is located in Dallas. If the girls were nervous it did not show as they jumped out to a 15-5 lead in game 1 and never looked back. Game 2 was a little close for a while but they ran off a few points in the end. Game 3 was awesome as we jumped out to a 15-4 lead and coasted to a great win, 25-16, 25-21, 25-18. Some notes:
- Everybody got on the court and contributed in a positive way. This was a great experience as we head to our big tournament this weelend in El Reno.
- Our crowd was AMAZING!! Both basketball teams and a lot of baseball guys were there and they made a lot of noise. Our mens basketball coach thinks we might have set an attendance record, which I hope we break next week versus Navarro.
- Now its off to Oklahoma, where we play Tyler, Paris, Redlands and Seward. Hopefully we will continue to improve and the girls can gain more confidence heading into conference season.
- Finally, here's a link to the season preview for one of our conference rivals, Temple College. Temple Season Preview
- Everybody got on the court and contributed in a positive way. This was a great experience as we head to our big tournament this weelend in El Reno.
- Our crowd was AMAZING!! Both basketball teams and a lot of baseball guys were there and they made a lot of noise. Our mens basketball coach thinks we might have set an attendance record, which I hope we break next week versus Navarro.
- Now its off to Oklahoma, where we play Tyler, Paris, Redlands and Seward. Hopefully we will continue to improve and the girls can gain more confidence heading into conference season.
- Finally, here's a link to the season preview for one of our conference rivals, Temple College. Temple Season Preview
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Brookhaven Tourney Recap
We had a very positive weekend up in Dallas on Friday and Saturday. We started the weekend off against Trinity Valley. They are a brand new program and between the two of us we had 3 sophomores. Total. The girls started off a little hesitant and passive. I think was a combination of it being their first real college match (for most of them) and that we didn't know what to expect from TVC. We lost the first game but the girls did a great job of adjusting their effort levels as well as following the adjustments the coaches made and we won our first match in 4 games!
Our second match on Friday was against Western Texas. This was another team that had a brand new coach and system and we only had a little time to prepare. This time the girls came out very focused and we won in 4. Want to give a big shout out to Brittany Berry, who came off the bench when one of our middles sprained her ankle and did a great job.
After a great dinner at Pei Wei and a good nights sleep, we played Paris Saturday morning. The girls were extremely prepared for this match. They followed the scouting report to the letter and we jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately, did not close out Paris in game 3, and they beat us in 5. This is a learning experience for our young team and they will get better. We will also play some more "Choke or No Choke" in practice (the girls know exactly what drill this is).
Finally, we played the host team, Brookhaven. I was a little concerned with how we would respond after a tough loss and we started out very slow and lost game 1. Coach Loop and I decided to change the line up after game 1 to give us some more offensive firepower. Taylor Jones came in at our L2 spot and a fantastic job, hitting .500 in games 2 and 3, which we won. In game 4 it was tied 23-23 and we called a time-out. We put an emphasis on denying Brookhaven the line shot and told our pin hitters to hit deep down the line. Sure enough, we got a stuff block on their outside to give us match point, and then we got a transition kill down the line from Mariah Everitt to win the match!!
All in all it was a successful weekend. I'm sure the girls would be the first to admit that there are a lot of areas we can improve in, but our effort level was very solid. I can't wait to get back into the gym tomorrow and see us improve. Our first home match is Wednesday at 6 pm. Hope you can make it!
Our second match on Friday was against Western Texas. This was another team that had a brand new coach and system and we only had a little time to prepare. This time the girls came out very focused and we won in 4. Want to give a big shout out to Brittany Berry, who came off the bench when one of our middles sprained her ankle and did a great job.
After a great dinner at Pei Wei and a good nights sleep, we played Paris Saturday morning. The girls were extremely prepared for this match. They followed the scouting report to the letter and we jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately, did not close out Paris in game 3, and they beat us in 5. This is a learning experience for our young team and they will get better. We will also play some more "Choke or No Choke" in practice (the girls know exactly what drill this is).
Finally, we played the host team, Brookhaven. I was a little concerned with how we would respond after a tough loss and we started out very slow and lost game 1. Coach Loop and I decided to change the line up after game 1 to give us some more offensive firepower. Taylor Jones came in at our L2 spot and a fantastic job, hitting .500 in games 2 and 3, which we won. In game 4 it was tied 23-23 and we called a time-out. We put an emphasis on denying Brookhaven the line shot and told our pin hitters to hit deep down the line. Sure enough, we got a stuff block on their outside to give us match point, and then we got a transition kill down the line from Mariah Everitt to win the match!!
All in all it was a successful weekend. I'm sure the girls would be the first to admit that there are a lot of areas we can improve in, but our effort level was very solid. I can't wait to get back into the gym tomorrow and see us improve. Our first home match is Wednesday at 6 pm. Hope you can make it!
Here's a picture of our team outside our bus before our dinner at Chilis! Yes, the sun is in our eyes.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Press Release
Below is the press release that was sent out today. I'm letting you read it here first so we can start getting the word out on our team!
"Lady Rebels Look to Their Fountain of Youth For Success"
The 2010 Hill College Lady Rebel volleyball team not only has 12 new members, but also a new head coach. First-year Head Coach Jeremiah Tiffin takes the reins after two seasons as the program’s assistant coach.
Since joining the Lady Rebels in 2008, Tiffin has helped the team attain a 49-25 record while being responsible for team defense, technical training and setters’ coach.
Despite winning those 49 games over the last two seasons, however, the team has learned that it is the final match that is hardest to win. In 2008 and 2009, the team has lost the Region V North Championship to Temple College.
Lauren Ray of Hewitt is the only returning letterman from the 2009 season. As the libero, she was First team All-Region and 22nd nationally in digs per set. The other sophomore on the team is Prairie View A&M University transfer Sapphire Reid, a 5’9 outside hitter from Copperas Cove. Other key players to watch will be 6’2 Middle Blocker Ayve Alvarado from Fort Worth and Outside Hitter Mariah Everitt from Splendora.
“I cannot remember the last time I was so excited to get to work with a group of players as I am with this team,” Tiffin said. “We’ve got sophomore leadership in two key positions in Sapphire Reid at outside and Lauren Ray at libero who will both push our freshmen to perform at their best every day.”
Conference favorite, Temple College, will provide the toughest conference test for the Lady Rebels. Temple has won conference three years in a row and is ranked #10 in the nation.
After finishing the 2009 season with a perfect record at home, the 2010 schedule will have several challenging home matches: the home opener Sept. 1 against Eastfield College, and Sept. 23 against the 2008 NJCAA National Champs Blinn College. Important conference matches will be: Oct. 7 versus NCTC, Oct. 19 versus Temple and Oct. 28 against Ranger (sophomore night).
“I am truly excited to see what this team can do,” said Tiffin. “We cannot control what might happen, but we look forward to what will happen.”
For the complete 2010 Hill College volleyball schedule, visit our website at http://www.hillcollege.edu/athletics/.
"Lady Rebels Look to Their Fountain of Youth For Success"
The 2010 Hill College Lady Rebel volleyball team not only has 12 new members, but also a new head coach. First-year Head Coach Jeremiah Tiffin takes the reins after two seasons as the program’s assistant coach.
Since joining the Lady Rebels in 2008, Tiffin has helped the team attain a 49-25 record while being responsible for team defense, technical training and setters’ coach.
Despite winning those 49 games over the last two seasons, however, the team has learned that it is the final match that is hardest to win. In 2008 and 2009, the team has lost the Region V North Championship to Temple College.
Lauren Ray of Hewitt is the only returning letterman from the 2009 season. As the libero, she was First team All-Region and 22nd nationally in digs per set. The other sophomore on the team is Prairie View A&M University transfer Sapphire Reid, a 5’9 outside hitter from Copperas Cove. Other key players to watch will be 6’2 Middle Blocker Ayve Alvarado from Fort Worth and Outside Hitter Mariah Everitt from Splendora.
“I cannot remember the last time I was so excited to get to work with a group of players as I am with this team,” Tiffin said. “We’ve got sophomore leadership in two key positions in Sapphire Reid at outside and Lauren Ray at libero who will both push our freshmen to perform at their best every day.”
Conference favorite, Temple College, will provide the toughest conference test for the Lady Rebels. Temple has won conference three years in a row and is ranked #10 in the nation.
After finishing the 2009 season with a perfect record at home, the 2010 schedule will have several challenging home matches: the home opener Sept. 1 against Eastfield College, and Sept. 23 against the 2008 NJCAA National Champs Blinn College. Important conference matches will be: Oct. 7 versus NCTC, Oct. 19 versus Temple and Oct. 28 against Ranger (sophomore night).
“I am truly excited to see what this team can do,” said Tiffin. “We cannot control what might happen, but we look forward to what will happen.”
For the complete 2010 Hill College volleyball schedule, visit our website at http://www.hillcollege.edu/athletics/.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sophomores video
Here's a video of our two sophomores talking about the upcoming season and what they've experienced so far. Lauren Ray is our only returning player and gives us leadership from having been through our season schedule once already. Sapphire Reid is a transfer who will contribute for us right away.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
First scrimmage
Hill had their first scrimmage this past Friday at Brookhaven College. They got a lot of playing experience under their belts, playing 6 intense matches against Brookhaven, Eastfield, Tyler, Paris and conference rivals North Central Texas.
The main goal of the day was to get our 11 freshmen introduced to the level of play they will see this year. We can replicate it a lot in practice, but it's a different feeling in a new gym and against unfamiliar players. I thought there were some positive improvements throughout the day and the girls should be prepared for our first real matches next weekend. Our serve receive was very consistent, especially from our three defensive specialists, known as Lauren, Lauren and Lauran. Yes all our DS's have the same name. We also have 3 Taylors, though one is spelt differently and one is our trainer. It makes practice interesting. I've even started using middle names when I need their attention.
We've got some great chances over the next week to improve all areas of our game. We just finished a great practice this morning where the girls saw themselves play on film, then made every goal in every drill I set for them. I'm super excited for what lies ahead!
Finally, I think the two highlights of the day were when both Sapphire Reid (OH) and Brittany Berry (MB) had 2 huge facials on great swings. Our bench loved each one and, especially on Berry's, it gave us a lot of momentum.
Our first home game is Wednesday September 1 against Eastfield at 6 pm. Hope you can come out and see us play!
The main goal of the day was to get our 11 freshmen introduced to the level of play they will see this year. We can replicate it a lot in practice, but it's a different feeling in a new gym and against unfamiliar players. I thought there were some positive improvements throughout the day and the girls should be prepared for our first real matches next weekend. Our serve receive was very consistent, especially from our three defensive specialists, known as Lauren, Lauren and Lauran. Yes all our DS's have the same name. We also have 3 Taylors, though one is spelt differently and one is our trainer. It makes practice interesting. I've even started using middle names when I need their attention.
We've got some great chances over the next week to improve all areas of our game. We just finished a great practice this morning where the girls saw themselves play on film, then made every goal in every drill I set for them. I'm super excited for what lies ahead!
Finally, I think the two highlights of the day were when both Sapphire Reid (OH) and Brittany Berry (MB) had 2 huge facials on great swings. Our bench loved each one and, especially on Berry's, it gave us a lot of momentum.
Our first home game is Wednesday September 1 against Eastfield at 6 pm. Hope you can come out and see us play!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Team Picture!
Back row (L-R): Assistant Coach Kelsey Loop, Mariah Everitt, Sapphire Reid, Taylor Jones, Ayve Alvarado, Taelor Higgins, Brittany Berry, Head Coach Jeremiah Tiffin, student trainer Taylor Chandler.
Middle Row: Allyson Reed, Kaila Grissett, Shelby Watson, Haley Goldwater
Bottom Row: Lauren Ray, Lauren Myers, Lauran James
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Welcome to the 2010 Hill College Volleyball Season!!!
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