The 2013 Ladyjack Volleyball Season is underway. Last night WE opened up the year by playing Bismarck State College at "The Woodshed". It was an extremely positive event as the crowd was tremendous, and easily the most entertaining any spectators event has been in my time at Dakota College. Thank you to those in the community, and especially our student body for doing such a great job of bringing us energy. WE hope you can sustain the school pride and allow the "team spirit" to spread throughout the athletic programs.
Now, to discuss the actual match played. WE were swept in 3 straight sets by a strong opposing team. As always in athletics the coach and the team must keep the season, or match in proper perspective. For us it was the 1st match of the year, and WE competed against last year's Region Champions who returned several of their key players. To go along with that fact, it was also BSC's 5th match of the year, and we competed with only 2 returning sophomore's (Ashleigh Aufforth/Leah Parizek). The experience was great for our freshman as they received a glimpse of what is in store for the remainder of the season. There is no doubt we will be a better TEAM in the upcoming matches, and throughout the year because I believe we did not play anywhere near our potential.
Aufforth and Parizek played steady last night showing why they are the only returners from a team that finished 4th at the Region tournament. Several of our freshman are expected to be strong contributors, but had somewhat of a rough start. Lauren Pederson, Halle Schumann and Katelyn Lawler will provide a variety of defensive skills but have also shown an ability to score points in different ways. Rotating through the middle with Parizek is Tessa Walters who is a strong athlete with an ability to affect the set with hitting and blocking. A key addition to our offense has been Justine Nordin out of Canada who will provide some power from the outside.
This year is much different from last as our TEAM went from 7 student-athlete's to 15. With that being said majority of our TEAM is local talent, and many of them are striving to find what role they can fill. Last night one of the best aspects of the match was the fact each Ladyjack did a remarkable job of supporting each other whether they were on the floor, or bringing energy from the sideline. This will be a staple of our TEAM as we will constantly evaluate what is best for the TEAM moving forward.
Over the weekend we will be traveling to BSC for a Classic in which we will play 4 matches. I will update the blog on Friday and Saturday evening in order to keep all followers in the loop.
Thanks again to those who came out and made "The Woodshed" one of the best places to be last night.
Get Jacked UP
Coach Cory
