Volleyball has officially returned to the court, with our previous and upcoming talent hitting the court hard. In the sport of Volleyball, there is so much talent and opportunity. Many skills are needed: hand-eye coordination, positivity, and love for the sport.
The goal of volleyball is to get the ball over the net in three touches. A bump, a set, and a hit – you do not want the ball to hit the ground of your side of the net.
Lodi Volleyball has amazing coaches, Adam Buss as The Head Varsity Coach, Kelsey Rego as The Varsity Assistant coach, Lisa Schoenberg as the JV coach, and all three of the coaches come together to coach the JV2 team. These coaches are responsible for making sure the team is always improving, keeping our love for the game, and most importantly keeping a fun and positive environment.
The Devil’s Advocate interviewed three people on their different thoughts about the season. We interviewed freshman JV/Varsity bubble Ellie Keyeski, Senior Varsity player Natalie Kelly, and Varsity Assistant coach Kelsey Rego.
We asked Ellie the difference between JV and Varsity. Ellie states, “[On] Varsity you have to have a ton of effort and make smart plays. You can’t make as many errors and stuff”. She also shared her favorite parts of JV and Varsity, “My favorite part of JV is that it’s not as stressful”. As for her favorite part of varsity, she said, “Getting to know them; and they’re very supportive and when you get a play and they cheer you on it’s cool”.
Then, we got a perspective from a Senior Varsity Player, Natalie Kelly. Natalie has four years of high school volleyball experience. She shared her goals for the season with us, Natalie says, “My goal for the Varsity [Volleyball] season is obviously to win conference and go further in playoffs than prior years, but at the end of the day my goal is to just make sure everyone playing Volleyball feels like they belong and they feel as though they’re part of a family”. We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves. Natalie is sharing a great message with others and that’s the kind of positivity everyone needs.
Finally, we talked to Kelsey Rego about what it’s like to be the Varsity Assistant Coach. She shares her thoughts, “Humbling. As a coach, I thrive off of seeing the passion the athletes have. Being able to be a mentor for each of my athletes is something very special to me. As a Varsity coach, it is fun and exciting to watch athletes as they enter high school transform into better athletes and people every single day. Obviously with this being my first year at Lodi, it makes that last statement a different scenario. However, in my short time at Lodi, I have built relationships with the athletes that makes me feel like I’ve been coaching at Lodi for years”.
The Devil’s Advocate asked each of them if they had any pieces of advice for any upcoming players or players with the goal to get to a higher level. Ellie Keyeski said, “Don’t be scared, be confident because if you’re in your head you’re not going to perform as well and if you keep telling yourself you can’t do something, then you won’t be able to do it.”
Natalie Kelly said, “My advice for the younger players would just to always be the loudest on the court, treat other players the way you expect to be treated, and never give up or lose faith in yourself.”
Finally Kelsey Rego said, “Give 110% effort every single day. Stay dedicated to yourself as an athlete even outside of the season. The more reps you get, the better you become. Don’t give up on your passion for the sport. Always watch higher levels of volleyball than where you are at; you learn so much from just watching other, more experienced athletes.”
Senior night / pink out will be held on October 8th. Come join our student section during games, and remember to be loud and be proud!
