‘Tenacious.?
That was the one word that Coach Kristi McDevitt used to describe her Varsity Volleyball team as they prepare for the upcoming season.
‘They all just went out there and sacrificed body parts to get the ball up,? claimed Coach McDevitt after seeing the girls practice for the first time this year.
Heading into the final season in the Flint Metro League, the Varsity Girls couldn’t be in better shape to make a run at the League title. They only lost one senior from last year’s team, which finished tied for second with Lapeer East.
‘That’s all we were last year was up-and-down. We struggled with keeping our intensity,? said Coach McDevitt.
Not wanting to repeat the inconsistent performances, the girls took what Coach McDevitt said to heart over the off-season and have taken a go-get-’em attitude to the season this year.
It is that mindset that gives Coach McDevitt hope for the upcoming season. She said she can see the direct and clear vision the girls have in their head already during the first few weeks of practice.
She has noted that the girls have been willing to work for it and work very hard in practice.
‘The sky is the limit for this team. We aren’t very big, we aren’t very tall, but we’re very athletic,? Coach McDevitt said.
Working alongside that athleticism is the depth that the program has. Coach McDevitt has 14 members on this year’s squad, seven seniors, six juniors and a sophomore.
‘For me to be able to sit on the bench and be able to put anyone in and be confident in them is a coaches dream,? she said.
The hitting is also going to be a strength for this team as they have a number of girls who can strike the ball. ‘I think our hitting is going to be huge for us this year. To me, that’s the most exciting part of volleyball when you have really fantastic hitters….that’s what the crowd comes to see,? said Coach McDevitt.
Leading that hitting attack is Senior Captain Marissa Manzella, who has moved from the middle position to the outside position.
Coach McDevitt said that Manzella is going to be a dominant player out on the court this year, and how she plays will control the speed of the game.
Casey Novak is another huge hitter who plays the left side. ‘Lots of power, she’s a little girl…she catches alot of player’s off guard,? said Coach McDevitt.
Sophomore Kate Bailey and Senior Valerie Anderson also contribute to the power attack.
Seniors Victoria LaFramboise, Chelsea Kessler, Danielle Bauman, Emily Brooks and Keeona Ives look to help keep the team focused in order to teach the younger girls what it mean’s to be competitive on the Varsity volleyball court.
Other captains includes Sophomore Allison Wingett, who is recovering from knee surgery after team camp at Western, a year after she tore her ACL. ‘She is a great kid, she is such a special part of the team, we wanted to give her a voice since she has been through so much,? said Coach McDevitt.
Another team captain is Brooks, who is one of the setters on the team.
‘She has to have a big voice since she is running the offense.?
The final captain on the team is Ives, who Coach McDevitt can see being a future volleyball coach one day because of how smart she plays.
‘They are all compassionate, they have the best sportsmanship on the team and their teammates look up to them, so it was an easy choice this year,? said Coach McDevitt.
One thing that Coach McDevitt is looking to improve is the team’s blocking.
‘We kind of struggled with it, but we have a system now where the blockers have the proper footwork. We’ve gotten alot of good touches on the ball, but we’ve slowed it down enough where we can get a touch on the ball. I’m looking forward to it,? she said.
Since they only play each team in the FML once, each game is going to be important. Coach McDevitt said that with the talent that she sees on the teams, they should definitely be in the top one, two, or three in the league.
‘If we do everything correctly, I don’t see how we can be stopped,? said Coach McDevitt.
With that confidence, the girls took on every team in the FML on Saturday, August 22 in a preseason tournament that was held at Oxford.
The Wildcats finished in 4th place in the tournament with a 10-8 record.
They won two matches, lost one match to Fenton, and split six others, including matches against tournament champion Lapeer East and runner-up Linden.
Manzella and Junior Beth Downs recorded the most kills for the girls with 20 a piece. The rest of the hitters had double-digit kills, with Novak leading the way with 18.
Setters Brooks, Paige Felisky, Sara Neiboer and Bauman combined for 95 kill assists.
Kessler and LaFramboise were defensive forces, combining for 39 digs between the two of them. LaFramboise had 22 while Kessler had 17.
‘I was very surprised with our performance after having less than a week to prepare for the tournament,? said Coach McDevitt. ‘The Wildcats did very well and we are gearing up for exciting season of Oxford Volleyball.?