For the 2009 Houston Lady Tigers volleyball team, it’s simply mind over matter.
Veteran coach Debbie James has spent much of the preseason focusing on the mental part of the game through books and team bonding. She hopes the exercises will translate into wins for a talented team that suffered from mental and emotional breakdowns last year.
“You can be physically fit and have talent, but you’ve got to have mental toughness to complete the entire picture,” James said. “That sometimes gets in the way of performing.”
Houston has just one senior – middle hitter Amber Honig – and eight players on this year’s varsity team. Juniors Erica Keeney and Sarah Pierce are both three-year starters and returning all-district selections.
Kaitlyn Kell, who missed a portion of last season with a knee injury, will start on the front line. Haylee Kell and freshman setter Alexa Ichord round out the starting lineup.
Lainey Casper will rotate with Kaitlyn Kell when she reaches the back row, and sophomore Lauren Hoover is the team’s libero.
The Lady Tigers, who are hosting a fund-raising dinner and scrimmage Monday, open the season Tuesday when they host Licking.
Pierce makes the transition to outside hitter after earning first team all-district honors as a setter. She led the Lady Tigers with 380 assists last season and was among the team leaders with 107 kills, 115 digs and 24 blocks.
Keeney earned second team all-district recognition after leading the team in kills (120) and blocks (67) in 2009. She also had 98 digs and 14 aces.
Pierce and Keeney will team with Honig and Kaitlyn Kell to give Houston a foursome of hard-hitting front row players.
“I think they’ll be a fun team to watch simply because of their ability to attack the ball,” James said. “Everyone likes a hard-hitting team, and they can swing at it.”
James said she and assistant coach Amy McNew have worked with Keeney and Honig to stay behind the ball on their blocks. With Honig the only player on the roster taller than 5-foot-8, she and Keeney will play pivotal roles at the net.
James said she is obviously concerned about the team’s depth, as well as serve-receive and passing.
But the biggest focus has been away from the court. The team has participated in several bonding exercises, including a sleepover at James’ house. Older players have been put in charge of a younger player to form “families.”
“You can work yourself to death on skills and it’s not going to help, unless you bond as a team. It’s probably the most important factor,” James said. “I can already tell a big difference in the kids getting along.”
Most practices begin in the locker room with a short discussion related to the mental approach of the game and teamwork. James has given the players two books to read, including Volleyball Cybernetics, which focuses on motivation and personal development.
“We’re working with this group on everyone accepting their roles. Whether you’re the top dog or in there for five minutes, we want everyone to know how important that role is to the team,” James said. “If you’re the best server we’ve got and that’s all you do, that’s important to us.”
James said the team had strong showings during the summer at shootouts in Branson and Rolla. The events featured many teams, including ones from larger classes.
James hopes developing a mental edge with help push the Lady Tigers over the top in close matches.
“This group is starting to see the light,” James said. “We struggled a little at first during the summer, but they’re beginning to accept their roles on this team.”
