WG Varsity Volleyball Improves on Communication and Consistency

Photo by Danielle Gittens

​On August 25, the Walnut Grove varsity volleyball team played Banks County. The team went in with high hopes, but unfortunately could not obtain a win, losing 2-0. However, the team is determined not to be discouraged by this loss and is instead focusing on how to strengthen their skills for the future.​
by Mason Cason and Grayson Brandenburgh

​On August 25, the Walnut Grove varsity volleyball team played Banks County. The team went in with high hopes, but unfortunately could not obtain a win, losing 2-0. However, the team is determined not to be discouraged by this loss and is instead focusing on how to strengthen their skills for the future.

Memphis Thompson (senior) plays defensive specialist, focusing on blocking and defending the back row. She mentioned that after the loss against Elbert, they started writing down a list of things that they needed to improve on and change, and then at the next practice they would focus on those items. They would also run for every draw ball (a ball that goes out of play without giving someone a point). Memphis thinks that there are a lot of things the team does well, but she does believe they could do better with communication: "Probably communication, maintaining a good face on the court."

Afterward, Kaylee Hyde (senior), who is also a defensive specialist, stated that the team struggled due to the competition and that the other team was more coordinated. She noted that to fix their issues, they need to practice a lot more and a lot harder. Kaylee said they have been practicing much harder and running more in practice, as it is a lot more upbeat.

Teresha Smith (senior) is a right-side hitter who focuses on blocking and attacking for the front row. She said she thinks the hardest part was stopping the opponent's best hitters. She also mentioned that after every game, they talk about what they did wrong and drill it until they perfect it, making a list for certain players to work on things individually. She added that after their first loss to Elberton, they knew they had another game coming up soon, so they couldn't drill what they did wrong. Because of that, they went into their second game playing the same way and struggled. Teresha told us that she thinks the hardest part is defending against better, more powerful, and smarter hitters: "So, I would say the first game was just, like, it was kind of hard just to stop their best hitters. So, like, even though we did almost everything right, it was just, like, more about the team on the other side being a lot better and having more powerful hitters and being smarter. But we did everything right—and if you do everything right, you can still lose."

As the team goes on to face more challenging matchups, we can expect them to work on their individual and team problems, such as communication, defending against hitters from the back row, and developing the coordination they need to power through and get the win for the team and our school.