With a new coach, new players and a new season, the St. Ben’s volleyball team is excited to start playing games and working toward its ultimate goal to win.
Nicole Hess joined the coaching staff this year as head coach. Hess spent the last seven seasons coaching at St. Kate’s. She brings a lot of experience to the team, as well as a competitive drive.
“We want to be successful and know that when the 2010 season comes to an end, we did everything in our power to be the very best team we can be,” Hess said.
St. Ben’s is currently ranked third, behind St. Thomas and St. Olaf. The Blazers know that having a successful season will require a lot of work, but the team members are optimistic they can do it. With the loss of four seniors, new talent has risen from the younger players.
“Everyone is talented enough where if they need to be on the floor, they can.” junior Chelsie Sobiek said. “We can all contribute, unlike some teams who have a few good players. All of our players can step up,”
In order to achieve this success, the Blazers have been working relentlessly on the fundamentals of the game, as well as talking about their upcoming games at team meetings.
“We do a lot of push ups and (Nicole) has changed a couple of our sets,” senior Captain Calleigh Brown said. “She also focuses on different aspects of the game which I think will help us.”
While some games will be more competitive than others, the team is looking to take the season one game at a time. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Hess said. “We need to focus on one thing at a time, control what we can control and work each and every day to get better.”