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And they're off: Lady Panthers prep for quick preseason start
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
The on-court reps have come fast and furious for Plano East volleyball this week.
As such, head coach Steven Jones made it paramount to keep his team's gas tank near full for the 2012 season's first full practice Thursday with a morning chalk full of scrimmaging.
"We just needed to get out there and start playing," he said. "We need to start feeling each other out and get used to the new teammates. You want to put them in different situations to see how they handle them."
Consider it a means of getting the players acclimated to playing alongside each other after a lengthy time apart. No two teams were set in stone, with Jones switching players from one end of the net to the other to see different combinations in action and which formulas work well.
Senior Kayla Burling throws down a kill with the same ferocity that paced the Lady Panthers' attack last season, senior Gabby Litwin careens to the floor with outstretched arms for a dig and junior McKenzie Shea orchestrates it all from the setter spot.
"I think [practice has] gone really well," Shea said. "Obviously we've still got a lot of work to do because we're all still getting back into it. We have some new people who are adjusting, but I think we're all excited to get started with our scrimmages."
"There will be a lot of team building and chances to get to know each other," Jones added. "But at the same time, they're so excited and you don't want to waste that a lot early on. We went slow and steady here with scrimmages, letting them start swinging and getting used to their teammates."
Practices present drills both new and old, from creating matchups between Shea, the hitters and blockers through a series of quick repetitions, to a tried-and-true exercise called Columbus or Around the World, where five girls take the floor on each side and keep rallies alive while getting to play every position.
"Everybody gets a chance to play everywhere," Jones said. "Even my DSs and liberos, who love to hit the ball too but don't get many chances. It's a good chance to let everyone pass, set and hit."
There was also the process of setting expectations, both on and off the court.
"We're big on discipline," Jones said. "And the more time you spend on that stuff at the beginning, the less time you spend on it near the end. If you don't correct those issues at the beginning, then you're just wasting time at the end."
The team also hammered out the UIL's newly-mandated concussion testing, where the players paid a minimal fee to undergo a baseline concussion test. In the event a player feels any symptoms of a concussion, they're then subjected to the same test with the results compared between the two.
That's not to say the physical rigors haven't already been endured with Monday through Wednesday devoted to tryouts and two-a-days for any prospective players.
With teams enjoying some on-court time during the second phase of the practice, the morning portion dealt the players a bevy of conditioning work that ranged from bleachers to hills and track work, including being timed in the 40-yard dash and 800-meter run.
"It helps us a lot getting back into shape because a lot of us aren't really prepared for that kind of work during the summer," Shea said.
The reps came in droves Friday and Saturday, with scrimmages against Southlake Carroll, L.D. Bell, Mesquite Poteet and Rowlett.
The Lady Panthers' practice routine will take a more strategic approach Monday with the regular season officially starting Tuesday against Mesquite and John Paul II before continuing Friday with the Duncanville Tournament of Champions.
"That's what this weekend is about," Jones said. "Seeing everybody perform in different situations and getting a better idea as we get near tournament season."
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