First spring tournament

This past Friday Hill College travelled to Eastfield to participate in the first of our spring competition dates.  This was a chance to get on the court and play some new faces after over a month of sometimes monotonous weight room sessions and individual workouts.

We played four matches with mixed results.  In the morning we played Eastfield and after a sloppy start, came back and won in 3 sets.  Our next match was against Tyler and while we did have our moments, we lost in 3.

In the afternoon we played fellow conference member NCTC.  I have a great respect for their coach, who always has her teams ready to compete and have beaten us in the play-offs the last two seasons.  This game was no exception.  We put together a few solid rallies and won set two, but it was not enough and we lost in 3.  To finish off our day, we swept Brookhaven.

Spring volleyball isn't about getting wins and trying to "win" tournaments.  It's a chance to see what your team is made of in a different setting.  Matches are different; with less referees, less prep time, very liitle if any scouting reports, and obviously a smaller roster.  It gives coaches a chance to see who your leaders are going to be next season.  Any players that competes the same in spring as they do in the fall is a player you want on your team (as long as they compete hard!).  Winning becomes a by product of this work ethic.  If we don't have it in the spring we won't have it in the fall and our results will show it.

What we're finding is who has the mental fortitude to begin winning a starting position now instead of waiting for the fall to "turn on the switch."  I believe you can always tell what a person is really like by looking at them when there are no consequences.  If they still have a strong moral code and do what is best even when no one is looking, that is a person you want on your team.  If not, your team might have some issues.

That's all for today.  Our next spring tournament is March 31 at Brookhaven.  Hopefully in the next few weeks we will have news on incoming recruits and any other positive off season developments.  Until next time...