TRAPPER VOLLEYBALL SET FOR HOME OPENER THIS THURSDAY

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

Three weeks of preparation and practice will come to fruition this week on the court for the Northwest College volleyball team, kicking off the 2024 season Thursday and Friday in Cabre Gym.

A mix of strong returning sophomores and talented incoming freshmen has coach Scott Keister pleased with how the team has been training so far, displaying an abundance of talent early in the season.

"This is a definite upgrade from last year where we have a deep bench," Keister said. "We're trying to decide a lineup this week and we've got some tough decisions because we're so deep. Tough for all the right reasons, not the wrong ones. It's not the lesser of two evils, we've got three or four good ones per position."

The Trappers hope to learn from their experiences last year, after Northwest finished 9-22 and missed postseason action in Region IX.

Having nine players back from last year's roster has paid dividends for the Trappers early. Keister said that the returning sophomores have shown strong leadership from the jump, but that doesn't mean that the freshmen haven't had their voices heard.

"We make a big emphasis on freshmen having a voice as well," Keister said. "We have some good freshmen that have come in and if they just sit in the shadows then they aren't going to help us. The sophomores are doing a really nice job of leading but also allowing them [freshmen] to have a voice and lead in their own way and bring their strengths to the team."

He said the sophomores this year were able to learn from the sophomores last year, with the team continuing to reflect year after year on what needs to be done to improve the program. Keister is hopeful they can continue doing that each year.

"Each year we talk about, 'if you could go back and change things a little bit to be better.' We came up with a list of what those things were and they are implementing them," he said. "Hopefully each year we are getting better and better at fine-tuning that and making the experience a little better."

Throughout training camp Keister said that the team has remained relatively healthy, with only a couple of small injuries affecting the Trappers to this point.

"We have got the typical dings and bruises and stuff like that but nothing major so far," Keister said.

He said that the team has been narrowing down what players will be starting the first matches this week saying last week he was hopeful they would be able to reach that decision on Monday in order to train the lineup and rotation before the first match.

"Everything up until this point has been trying to figure out our lineup. On Monday morning it's going to be set for what it is on Thursday and we'll train that lineup and shift the focus from trying to figure it out to training that lineup the best it can be for opening day," Keister said.

He said making that decision should help the girls to understand what their role is better before the opening match on Thursday, instead of giving the opening lineup the day of the first match.

Despite a strong depth for the Trappers, Keister said he doesn't plan to throw in a significant amount of players in the first match, signifying that practice determines who will be playing in the regular season matches.

"That's what practice is for," Keister said. "For sure we will throw some people in here and there, but that is what our alumni game will be for. It's a scrimmage so we will probably play everybody a lot in that match. But when it's game time we're out to win that match, we always tell players that playing time is fair but not equal. You earn your spot, you get your spot, this isn't rec ball anymore. Everybody has a role to play."

He added that if they do have the opportunity to throw somebody into a match the Trappers are in control of then he will get them experience.

Northwest opens the season at home on Thursday, taking on Miles Community College at 2 p.m.

The Pioneers went 12-12 last year, with Keister expecting a tough test from a program that improved under head coach Robin Cusimano's first season at the helm.

"I expect a scrappy, tough team," Keister said. "I saw her work some magic with a small roster last year. I think she's doing a nice job there, she got a few nice recruits in to fit her system and her style. I expect them to be scrappy, gritty and not go away. I expect a tough match which is good, we need tough matches to get ready for conference."

Northwest will then take on an alumni team at 2 p.m. in a scrimmage on Friday before playing out of town until Sept. 12.