| Eastmoor took its share of lumps in its season opener but there is hope. |
“We are a very young team but I still am very confident that they are going to do well in
the City League. I think we can win our division,” said Eastmoor’s first year head coach
Marcia Drummond.
On Saturday, Aug. 23, Westerville South defeated Eastmoor 3-0 (25-4, 25-10, 25-15).
Taylor Simon led Eastmoor with six kills and one block while Michelle Miranda tallied
four kills.
“It was mixed emotions but for the most part they did pretty much what I expected them
to do,” Drummond said. “It gave me a lot of insight on what areas we need to work on.
We’ve worked on everything but there are obvious some specific things game wise that
we need to work on.”
While watching both teams Eastmoor appeared to be just as athletic but Westerville
South seemed to have a higher volleyball IQ. The team made less mistakes and
rebounded fast from the few errors that they made while Eastmoor couldn’t quite figure
out how to get out of the hole. The overwhelming belief is that the Ohio Capital
Conference (OCC), due to the exposure to post-season club volleyball among other
factors, is better than the City League.
“It’s going to take a whole lot of dedication from the city as a whole and coaching,”
Drummond said about making the City League better in volleyball. “I played for an OCC
school so I know what it’s like to play in the OCC. It’s a completely different ball game. I
would love to [for my team to] come in here and compete and I definitely believe that if
you give me another year with these young girls, they’re definitely going to come in here
and do something completely different.”
Assistant coach Rhonda Peck said, “A lot of the [girls from the city league] are in their
first year of volleyball. In the OCC some of them play competitive volleyball from third and
fourth grade so when they get to high school they’re ready to participate.”
By GEZUS ZAIRE
Staff Reporter
the City League. I think we can win our division,” said Eastmoor’s first year head coach
Marcia Drummond.
On Saturday, Aug. 23, Westerville South defeated Eastmoor 3-0 (25-4, 25-10, 25-15).
Taylor Simon led Eastmoor with six kills and one block while Michelle Miranda tallied
four kills.
“It was mixed emotions but for the most part they did pretty much what I expected them
to do,” Drummond said. “It gave me a lot of insight on what areas we need to work on.
We’ve worked on everything but there are obvious some specific things game wise that
we need to work on.”
While watching both teams Eastmoor appeared to be just as athletic but Westerville
South seemed to have a higher volleyball IQ. The team made less mistakes and
rebounded fast from the few errors that they made while Eastmoor couldn’t quite figure
out how to get out of the hole. The overwhelming belief is that the Ohio Capital
Conference (OCC), due to the exposure to post-season club volleyball among other
factors, is better than the City League.
“It’s going to take a whole lot of dedication from the city as a whole and coaching,”
Drummond said about making the City League better in volleyball. “I played for an OCC
school so I know what it’s like to play in the OCC. It’s a completely different ball game. I
would love to [for my team to] come in here and compete and I definitely believe that if
you give me another year with these young girls, they’re definitely going to come in here
and do something completely different.”
Assistant coach Rhonda Peck said, “A lot of the [girls from the city league] are in their
first year of volleyball. In the OCC some of them play competitive volleyball from third and
fourth grade so when they get to high school they’re ready to participate.”
By GEZUS ZAIRE
Staff Reporter
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| Marion Franklin Volleyball |
Seniors Deseree Pritchard and Catrice Mitchell led the Marion Franklin
comeback after it dropped the first two games of the match. Pritchard, a 5-4
setter, was not afraid to mix it up in the front row as she battled the bigger
players on the opposite side of the net. Mitchell, 6-1, assaulted Madison plains
with brutal kills. Mitchell hits with the power of a NCAA Division I player.
“Actually Catrice didn’t start playing volleyball until her sophomore year,” Bowman said. “She’s
a basketball player. She has more people looking at her for basketball than volleyball. I tell her
volleyball could actually be her sport. She’s come a long way since being a sophomore and
not playing any organized volleyball.”
Mitchell’s height poses an intimidating presence, but her quick leaping and swing prolonged
the night’s festivities.
“I’ve seen her grow as far as getting aggressive and physical on the court – learning how to
time herself and get her hits down,” Bowman said. “She’s so powerful, if her timing isn’t right
she hits a lot of her balls long. I’ve been working with her to not try to place the ball but hit the
ball straight down. She’s gotten better with her bumps on the floor and hitting the floor. It’s
hard for tall people to play the back row. Most teams let their tall people play the front row.
Playing for me you have to be able to play every where. She has grown in that aspect because
in the back row I can count on her now to hit the floor.”
Despite their mistakes down the stretch, Bowman’s team kept a positive attitude which is a
good sign for a successful season.
“Overall the team in general focus’ as one,” Bowman said. “We don’t have just one leader.
The thing is if somebody gets down on themselves, you got to be able to pick them up. The
biggest thing I tell them also is you have to be able to pick yourself up before anybody can say
anything to you … They don’t totally get down on themselves.”
comeback after it dropped the first two games of the match. Pritchard, a 5-4
setter, was not afraid to mix it up in the front row as she battled the bigger
players on the opposite side of the net. Mitchell, 6-1, assaulted Madison plains
with brutal kills. Mitchell hits with the power of a NCAA Division I player.
“Actually Catrice didn’t start playing volleyball until her sophomore year,” Bowman said. “She’s
a basketball player. She has more people looking at her for basketball than volleyball. I tell her
volleyball could actually be her sport. She’s come a long way since being a sophomore and
not playing any organized volleyball.”
Mitchell’s height poses an intimidating presence, but her quick leaping and swing prolonged
the night’s festivities.
“I’ve seen her grow as far as getting aggressive and physical on the court – learning how to
time herself and get her hits down,” Bowman said. “She’s so powerful, if her timing isn’t right
she hits a lot of her balls long. I’ve been working with her to not try to place the ball but hit the
ball straight down. She’s gotten better with her bumps on the floor and hitting the floor. It’s
hard for tall people to play the back row. Most teams let their tall people play the front row.
Playing for me you have to be able to play every where. She has grown in that aspect because
in the back row I can count on her now to hit the floor.”
Despite their mistakes down the stretch, Bowman’s team kept a positive attitude which is a
good sign for a successful season.
“Overall the team in general focus’ as one,” Bowman said. “We don’t have just one leader.
The thing is if somebody gets down on themselves, you got to be able to pick them up. The
biggest thing I tell them also is you have to be able to pick yourself up before anybody can say
anything to you … They don’t totally get down on themselves.”
By GEZUS ZAIRE
Staff Reporter
Marion Franklin (2-1) fought hard but
came up short in its home opener.
Madison Plains defeated Marion Franklin
3-2 (25-20, 25-19, 19-25, 22-25, 15-12)
on Monday, Aug. 25.
“Their effort was absolutely wonderful,”
said coach Cheri Bowman. “We were
down two games and I told them [before
the] third game, if we want to take this
any further we have to get it right off of
the bat. I have no problem losing this
match because we went to five [game]
and we took them all the way to the very
end.
“We never laid down and we never gave
up. That’s the biggest thing I tell my girls.
We fight back from beginning to end. I
don’t care what the score is. Don’t look at
the score. You play until the last whistle is
blown.”
Staff Reporter
Marion Franklin (2-1) fought hard but
came up short in its home opener.
Madison Plains defeated Marion Franklin
3-2 (25-20, 25-19, 19-25, 22-25, 15-12)
on Monday, Aug. 25.
“Their effort was absolutely wonderful,”
said coach Cheri Bowman. “We were
down two games and I told them [before
the] third game, if we want to take this
any further we have to get it right off of
the bat. I have no problem losing this
match because we went to five [game]
and we took them all the way to the very
end.
“We never laid down and we never gave
up. That’s the biggest thing I tell my girls.
We fight back from beginning to end. I
don’t care what the score is. Don’t look at
the score. You play until the last whistle is
blown.”