TRAPPER VOLLEYBALL LEARNS IN SCRIMMAGES

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

Two home scrimmages kicked off the year for the Northwest College volleyball team, with the Trappers learning plenty in two days of action at Cabre Gym on Thursday and Friday.

The Trappers (0-0) started with a junior college opponent, taking on Miles Community College (2-1) on Thursday.

While the Trappers couldn't secure the win over the five sets, coach Nicole Buck felt the Trappers learned plenty after a number of different lineups took the court.

"I would say the biggest thing (we learned) is just their ability to adjust," Buck said. "Because it was a scrimmage, I experimented with a different lineup in almost every single set, and so I really got to see their ability to adjust to having different people next to them."

She added that all of those different lineups allowed her to see the chemistry from the team, testing out different plays the team has worked on over the month of August before officially hitting the court.

"We've been working on some different plays and stuff in practice, so it was really fun to finally see them have some success with some really cool change-up plays in the game. We got to see how they executed those which was really great," Buck said.

The Trappers also got a sneak peak of an opponent they will come to know well over the next several weeks, as the Trappers take on Miles twice in the regular season. Buck was impressed with the opposition that came to Cabre.

"They have a couple really powerful hitters and it was really fun," Buck said. "They also hit a little bit differently. They have what we would call a roundhouse swing, which changes the way you block. So we learned as a blocking team how to adjust to that a little bit. So I'm excited to see them again this week, and in two weeks. We see them a lot this year."

Despite having lost the match in four, the teams agreed to play a fifth set, where Buck felt she saw her best lineup on the court as the Trappers cruised to end the match.

"That's when I saw the chemistry piece come in. They kind of settled in," Buck said. "They felt a little bit more confident. We worked through a lot of things throughout the first four sets, and it was like that fifth set they just relaxed and figured out what their roles were … So one thing we talked about at the end of the game was when they allow themselves to play more freely and aggressively, they find not just success, but really good, measurable success."

Throughout the two days the Trappers experimented with a number of different lineups, which included a rotation of liberos along with a different type of offense, experimenting with a 5-1 and a 6-2 system at times as Buck said it is nice to practice both just in case it's needed during the season.

"It's something (the 6-2) that I definitely always want to have ready to go. I've always been a big believer in the 5-1 just because it's consistent, but we do have good personnel for a 6-2 so I'm trying to remain open minded to that especially because Aidann (Mottishaw) is not just a really good setter, she's a very powerful hitter," Buck said. "We were working through different liberos … I think it helped them see where they fit best, whether it was in that libero role or whether it's more in a defensive specialist role."

On Friday, the Trappers played with, and against, former Trappers as four former players made the trip to Powell to take part in the alumni scrimmage.

Buck said it was a good opportunity for the team to make connections and see the former athletes that have made their way through the program to help motivate the current players.

"It's fun to make those connections. You just get to know someone who has been through this school, through this program," Buck said. "I remember picking on them (the alumni) at first, telling our girls to start with them because I thought they might be a little weaker, and they absolutely weren't. They were fantastic passers, and so I think it was really cool for the girls just to see that high caliber athletes have come from this program in the past."    

REGULAR SEASON STARTS
The Trappers head out on the road to start the first several weeks of the season, starting with a tournament in Gillette on Friday and Saturday.

Northwest takes on Dakota College at Bottineau (0-4) at 2 p.m. on Friday before taking on Miles in an official game at 4 p.m.

On Saturday, the Trappers take on Dawson Community College (0-0) at 2 p.m. and Williston State College (3-1) at 4 p.m. to wrap up the weekend.

"The only thing I'm focused on is us," Buck said. "I'm still learning the league, and so I just can't get so weighed down with the opponent just yet because we have so many things that we need to work on and work through. So my main focus has been cleaning up our serve-receive a little bit so that we can run our offense out of it more efficiently."

"The biggest thing I want them to know is having consistency and confidence in the things that we're running, so that when we achieve that, then we can focus on the opponent a little bit better. This week is just all about getting to know us as a team probably more than anything."