Sports Update
Proving Ground: Lady Leopards learning more about team with district play under way
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com
Though the No. 1-ranked Lovejoy volleyball team had played 30 matches prior to the start of district, the Lady Leopards still felt there was much to learn about their team.
"Those first three weeks are such a blow and go," said Ryan Mitchell, Lovejoy head coach. "You are trying to schedule all these tournaments and duals in such a short amount of time that you end up having to Band-Aid and mask a lot of problems."
The end of tournament season meant an end to that pace.
"Now you can tear off the Band-Aids and fix the spots you need to," Mitchell said. "It's nice because we have had way more practice time these last two weeks than we did the first three or four weeks of the season. Now we can start planning things out and scouting opponents."
The crux of that scouting is currently focused on District 13-4A.
"I think every coach breaks the year up into three seasons: the preseason, district and then the playoffs," Mitchell said. "So it's nice to move into the second phase of the season, especially since that first phase is so long."
If the opening handful of matches are any indication, the district season will feel plenty long for the rest of 13-4A.
Lovejoy (4-0 in district) steamrolled its first three 13-4A opponents. The Lady Leopards swept Sherman (25-18, 25-10, 25-14); Greenville (25-8, 25-17, 25-13) and Royse City (25-10, 25-13, 25-22), all without the services of Ebony Nwanebu. The 6-foot-4 senior tweaked an ankle and has spent the past two weeks working on the bike and treadmill. She is expected to return to full-time action Friday.
In Nwanebu's absence, players like junior outside hitter Brooke Barfield and senior setter Hannah Atkinson have chipped in.
"Brooke is a really good player, she will start all the way around for us next season, it's just that she is stuck behind Ebony and (senior outside hitter) Mallorie Puckett," Mitchell said. "But she has really stepped up and contributed a lot during district and so has Hannah. Those girls have allowed us to rest some players, which is a luxury a lot of teams don't have."
Also seeing more time has been senior right side Lucy Tweedie, who was injured earlier in the season.
"I'm really excited to see Ebony and Lucy on the court together," Mitchell said.
Filling out the front line, Mitchell noted junior Katelyn McKenzie and freshman Sarah Langs as having been pleasant surprises at middle blocker.
But with the good comes the bad as Lovejoy has not excelled in all areas.
"I'd say our defense and passing is still a work in progress," Mitchell said. "We've had some matches where both were really good and others where it wasn't where we need it to be, so obviously those are two areas where we want to achieve some consistency going forward."
Tournament season also illuminated other issues that have been worked on in the early stages of district.
The most pressing of those may be serve receive.
"We have had too many errors on our serve and in serve receive," Mitchell said. "We are averaging nine errors per game when it should be four or five, so we are giving up an extra five points a game.
Mitchell has seen a couple other finite details to be corrected as well.
"Our blocking at the pins needs to get better and we need to do a better job playing with the lead," he said. "You look at our matches against Coppell (Texas Open) and Colleyville Heritage (Pearland NIKE Invitational) and we let the lead get away."
Such adjustments are necessary as the four-time Class 3A State Champions have big plans in their inaugural 4A district season and beyond.
"The girls are used to this position because of what we've done the last few years," Mitchell said. "They don't want to just be district champs, they want to go undefeated in matches and sets in district. It's a big goal, but I embrace it too because it's that kind of culture we have created here and I think that is what has made us successful year in and year out."
Lovejoy, which defeated McKinney North (25-11, 25-12, 25-13) on Tuesday, returns to action at 5:30 p.m. Friday when it hosts Wylie East.
Lovejoy welcomes Sloan Creek students
Friday's match is the first of four straight home games for the Lady Leopards, including Tuesday's 6:30 p.m. match against Denison. That also serves as Sloan Creek Middle School Night where all Sloan Creek students will receive free admission.
"Our connection to the middle school level has always been key," Mitchell said. "We celebrate championships at all levels, not just varsity, and expect championships from all the teams in our system."
"Those first three weeks are such a blow and go," said Ryan Mitchell, Lovejoy head coach. "You are trying to schedule all these tournaments and duals in such a short amount of time that you end up having to Band-Aid and mask a lot of problems."
The end of tournament season meant an end to that pace.
"Now you can tear off the Band-Aids and fix the spots you need to," Mitchell said. "It's nice because we have had way more practice time these last two weeks than we did the first three or four weeks of the season. Now we can start planning things out and scouting opponents."
The crux of that scouting is currently focused on District 13-4A.
"I think every coach breaks the year up into three seasons: the preseason, district and then the playoffs," Mitchell said. "So it's nice to move into the second phase of the season, especially since that first phase is so long."
If the opening handful of matches are any indication, the district season will feel plenty long for the rest of 13-4A.
Lovejoy (4-0 in district) steamrolled its first three 13-4A opponents. The Lady Leopards swept Sherman (25-18, 25-10, 25-14); Greenville (25-8, 25-17, 25-13) and Royse City (25-10, 25-13, 25-22), all without the services of Ebony Nwanebu. The 6-foot-4 senior tweaked an ankle and has spent the past two weeks working on the bike and treadmill. She is expected to return to full-time action Friday.
In Nwanebu's absence, players like junior outside hitter Brooke Barfield and senior setter Hannah Atkinson have chipped in.
"Brooke is a really good player, she will start all the way around for us next season, it's just that she is stuck behind Ebony and (senior outside hitter) Mallorie Puckett," Mitchell said. "But she has really stepped up and contributed a lot during district and so has Hannah. Those girls have allowed us to rest some players, which is a luxury a lot of teams don't have."
Also seeing more time has been senior right side Lucy Tweedie, who was injured earlier in the season.
"I'm really excited to see Ebony and Lucy on the court together," Mitchell said.
Filling out the front line, Mitchell noted junior Katelyn McKenzie and freshman Sarah Langs as having been pleasant surprises at middle blocker.
But with the good comes the bad as Lovejoy has not excelled in all areas.
"I'd say our defense and passing is still a work in progress," Mitchell said. "We've had some matches where both were really good and others where it wasn't where we need it to be, so obviously those are two areas where we want to achieve some consistency going forward."
Tournament season also illuminated other issues that have been worked on in the early stages of district.
The most pressing of those may be serve receive.
"We have had too many errors on our serve and in serve receive," Mitchell said. "We are averaging nine errors per game when it should be four or five, so we are giving up an extra five points a game.
Mitchell has seen a couple other finite details to be corrected as well.
"Our blocking at the pins needs to get better and we need to do a better job playing with the lead," he said. "You look at our matches against Coppell (Texas Open) and Colleyville Heritage (Pearland NIKE Invitational) and we let the lead get away."
Such adjustments are necessary as the four-time Class 3A State Champions have big plans in their inaugural 4A district season and beyond.
"The girls are used to this position because of what we've done the last few years," Mitchell said. "They don't want to just be district champs, they want to go undefeated in matches and sets in district. It's a big goal, but I embrace it too because it's that kind of culture we have created here and I think that is what has made us successful year in and year out."
Lovejoy, which defeated McKinney North (25-11, 25-12, 25-13) on Tuesday, returns to action at 5:30 p.m. Friday when it hosts Wylie East.
Lovejoy welcomes Sloan Creek students
Friday's match is the first of four straight home games for the Lady Leopards, including Tuesday's 6:30 p.m. match against Denison. That also serves as Sloan Creek Middle School Night where all Sloan Creek students will receive free admission.
"Our connection to the middle school level has always been key," Mitchell said. "We celebrate championships at all levels, not just varsity, and expect championships from all the teams in our system."
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