Searcy (LP) As you all may know, it is time for fall sports at Searcy High School to begin their off-season training. This training can be vital keys to improvements in each player’s game. The SHS Volleyball team is putting in extra effort during their offseason this year, due to a hard and upsetting 2016 Fall Season. The team went up against numerous competitors that gave the team very challenging battles. All visitors, students, and parents that came out to watch the team this year were very impressed with skills and teamwork, but of course there is always work to be done. The volleyball team is a relatively new team, only six years and counting.
We got the inside scoop on just exactly what the team is working on. After speaking with Junior Catie Clark, she told us that she individually is focusing on, “My hits, just to make them stronger, and definitely to work on defense.” As a team, Catie says they are working on, “Conditioning, and getting to know each other more and more, so that we have better teamwork and more structure.” The team goes to the weight-lifting room two days a week to build muscle mass, and to tone their overall body. On the other three days the team works out in the field house by running numerous laps around the track, jumping boxes, and working team drills. Bree Bartlett, a sophomore on the team, says that a typical practice currently contains, “All meeting and then stretching with some type of full body workout. And then at the end once we are done, we will hit the trail which is a little over a mile.”
After talking to five-year coach, Mandy Emberson, we found out exactly what the team is doing throughout the coming summer and current offseason. Emberson states, “we have several team camps that we go to, summer practices, and two a day practices over the summer.” The players are also working outside of the school by participating in club ball in the offseason which means that the players are playing volleyball all year around, thus giving the team a large advantage for the upcoming season.
Catie Clark is most looking forward to “better teamwork and more athleticism, a bunch of girls have moved up and we are all super excited.” Searcy High fans are looking forward to seeing what the next year holds for our Volleyball team. Don’t forget about the SHS Volleyball team when choosing sports to watch during fall 2017!
