15s Look to Spring

Winter Greens

It’s hard to believe that Winter term is coming to an end and that it is almost time for spring volleyball again! Last week was our last week of lifting and individual training sessions, and I can honestly say I was sad to see it end. When we first got back on campus in January I expected the winter to drag on as New England winter’s can be extremely cold and dark. Luckily, having both lifting and volleyball definitely made the term fly by. I didn’t know what to expect from individuals, but I was really excited to get one-on-one time with the coaches. Individuals were really fun and helpful because I got to focus on improving specific skills. I passed and dug countless balls, and each session in the gym was both enjoyable and challenging. Being able to only spend two hours of your week playing volleyball definitely made me appreciate the sport even more and realize how much I miss playing every day. I can definitely see improvement from my first session at the beginning of January, and I am excited to see how it will translate into our spring practices.
            
Unfortunately at the beginning of the term we had to say goodbye to our trainer, Coach Butler, as he went off to Utah State. Our new trainer, James, took his place, and we have all made tremendous gains in the weight room. We have each individually gotten stronger, faster, and can jump higher. Going to lift each day became a part of my day that I really enjoy. James makes our time spent very worthwhile as we work extremely hard every time we step into the weight room. As James says, the volleyball girls can clean better than any other women’s team on campus and this is certainly one of our proudest accomplishments. I can’t wait to continue improving in the spring and to see how all my work in the weight room will translate onto the court. 

- Holly Harper '15

Set for Spring

Although the weather has been cold (and sometimes below freezing!) here in Hanover this winter, the Dartmouth volleyball team has been training and sweating it out in the Floren weight room and on the court in Leede Arena. Coming from Massachusetts, the winter weather didn’t shock me as much as it stunned the new girls, especially since 3 of them are from the steamy state of Texas. However, we have not let the chilly temperatures and inches of snow keep us from giving it our all at our lifting and conditioning sessions, and individual practices.

Despite our latest strength and conditioning coach leaving in the beginning of our winter season, we now have an amazing new coach, James, who joined the Dartmouth athletic staff in the fall. Not only does James have the coolest accent (he is from New Zealand), more importantly, he pushes us to perform our best and who encourages and motivates us in the weight room. While Alex, Lucia, and Elisa, all of whom took an off-term this winter, do not have the Dartmouth athletic facilities and staff at their disposal, the team has made a commitment to stay driven and to focus on becoming stronger and faster despite not all being together. We have managed to keep in touch throughout the winter to share our amusing stories and ultimately to keep each other and ourselves accountable for our training. 

The spring is just around the corner, and we are more than ecstatic to have the team together again (as well as the warmer spring temperatures!). The spring is an amazing time to reinforce what we have worked all winter on and to improve on those aspects as well as the pieces of our team play. We have demonstrated that we have the capability to cultivate and maintain a positive mindset of progress and growth. We are determined to develop as a team next term. This spring we will continue to work on both our physical and mental growth, both of which will be extremely important for our next season! We are set for spring!

- Maura Manley ‘15