The Good - The team's energy/overall play. It's the third day of pre-season, and we haven't shown any letdown on intensity. Today was the first day coach unchained us, with one conditioning drill to start, followed by scrimmaging the rest of practice. The guys are really starting to come along, with blocking being strong, setters starting to mix up hitting more, and VERY strong serves. I think our serving will be a huge asset to our season, as a lot of us have strong jump serves, with some guys mixing in some tough float serves. Hitting is still a BIT shaky, but there are a few guys that have played much better than expected at the net, and I think the people that are struggling a bit will be fine with more repetition.
The Bad - Lower back/Shoes! Although I know it's gonna be fine, I did feel it was a bit tighter than normal today. Add the fact that we've been doing a ton of sit-ups, which kill my spine as it sticks out and grinds against the hardwood floor, and I find myself just a BIT conservative on my swing/jump-serve. After taking IB Profun virtually every day to fight shin splints last season, I'm really working hard not to take anything unless absolutely necessary this year, and so far I can't complain for the most part.
More importantly though, my shoes have virtually NO traction left. We've ordered new shoes, but our tracking # isn't really updating us right now, and I have no idea if we'll get them before the tournament, which worries me because I can't really change direction on defense quickly, let alone take as aggressive of an approach as I'd like. I can't wait for the new shoes so that I can move a bit better on defense.
The Ugly - Timing! At the end of last year, everything was clicking with the setter, no matter where I was taking the approach from - outside, rightside, or backrow. Although I realize that a) It's the third day of practice b) I'm making the move from rightside to outside for the first time in about two years, and c) We're still working on finding the right set, I can't help but be a bit disappointed with how slow I've come out of the gate in regards to hitting. There are a few times where the timing's just right, and I'm ripping the leather out of the ball. Overall, I find myself INCREDIBLY early, jumping straight up as a result, and almost always finding hands with my swings.
It's slowly getting better, but with the tournament coming up Saturday, I find myself struggling to be patient with the process. Although I'd love to bore readers with the technical jargon that flies through my head regarding the mechanics, I'll save that for another blog, and just say that I look forward to shaking off the rust and picking up where I left off last year.
Off to bed, last practice before the Springfield tournament tomorrow, need to get some sleep so I can make it count!
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