By John Raffel
Being the new coach of a volleyball program can be a major challenge, especially when the inherited team had previous success.
That is the situation at Midland Dow, Mount Pleasant, and Sacred Heart Academy.
Amy Yuill is coaching in her first season as varsity volleyball coach at Midland Dow. She’s been coaching middle and high school travel volleyball for the past 10 years, and this is her first coaching position at Dow.
“As a Dow High graduate and 4-year varsity volleyball veteran, I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to use my skills and experience to continue the legacy of success that is Dow High athletics,” Yuill said. “Our varsity team is doing very well this season. We have been taking the necessary preparations to be a strong team. The entire program has been involved in summer conditioning and open gyms to give us a strong foundation to be a successful team.
“Since the first tournament at the end of August, our team has recorded 19 wins and only a few losses. Our first tournament in Linden, we went 6-1 on the day, resulting in a second place finish. In a tri-meet with Sacred Heart Academy and Saginaw Nouvel, we were also undefeated. As a program, we traveled to Warren, Michigan, to compete in the program tournament hosted at Michigan Elite and ended up 3-2 after a day of heavy competition. Our most recent tournament was in Waterford at the Our Lady of the Lakes Volleyfest, where we finished in third place.”
Yuill noted that her team is proactive in preparing for competition. “Regardless of who we’re playing, our game plan is the same, and we come out strong and aggressive,” she said. “In the Saginaw Valley league, we remain undefeated (4-0), having defeated Flint Northwestern, Saginaw Arthur Hill, Mount Pleasant, and Bay City Western.”
The team has many talented players, Yuill indicated. “Individually, each of our players is strong and experienced in their technique and game play,” she said. “These individual strengths and skills contribute to the success of our team as a whole. This season, we have eight seniors, a majority of which have been playing together since middle school. Our players have played school and travel volleyball on highly skilled and competitive teams, giving them the playing and team experience necessary to be a strong, cohesive unit this year on the Dow High varsity volleyball team.
“One thing our team is not lacking in is talent. We have a very strong team, with each player contributing good technique and experience. Volleyball is absolutely a true team sport, and we know that we cannot win on the back of one player alone. As a team, we are a collective force, working together to achieve victory.”
Among the players leading the way for Dow are junior libero Brianna Talt, senior setter Kylee Juday, outside hitters Alyssa Stone and Madi Kuch, senior middles Helena Atton and Jenna Queary, and right side hitter Keely McCaffrey.
“Being that we have so many talented players, our biggest strength is our teamwork and ability to execute plays to come up with a win, as a collective unit,” Yuill said. “Our players give their all and truly play for each other. It is great to see how the combined talent and passion for the sport results in impressive rallies and wins for our team.
“Talent alone doesn’t win games. Our players are working hard to continue to improve their skills and compete together as a team. It is a conscientious effort that needs total commitment from each of our players, in every match. As their coach, my objective is to get all players to a higher level of performance. Our team has unlimited potential this season with the caliber of players that we have. I expect our team to give each match their all and play together to come out with a win.
“If we approach each competition performing at the level we’re capable of, this year’s varsity team could win the Saginaw Valley league, take districts and beyond,” Yuill added. “I see great things for our team this season, and it all depends on the heart and determination of our players. Success is always attainable, if we’re willing to work for it.”
Krista Davis , in her first season at Sacred Heart, took over a team that was a state quarterfinalist in 2013. This year’s Irish were 11-9-2 as of mid September.
Davis indicated that the transition has been smooth. “Everyone in the program is great,” she said.
Four seniors graduated from last year’s team. Four seniors this season played varsity in the past. “There’s quite a few that didn’t,” Davis said. “It’s half-and-half.”
Her players are scrappy, which Davis regards as a team strength. They do a good job in calling for the ball,” she said. “They work hard and they don’t give up. We’re a small team. We’re working on beating the other team off the transition.”
Looking ahead, “it’s difficult to predict, but our goal is to go as far as possible,” Davis said.
Alison Smith is leading the way for the Mount Pleasant team in her first year. “It’s going pretty well,” she said. “We’re currently 20-5.”
The program has had its ups an downs and lost in districts last season. But Smith has seven returners from last year and added one senior.
Smith coached the freshman team last season, while Kristi Lippert coached the varsity. “A lot of our training is similar from a technical perspective, “ Smith said. “We’re excellent with serve receive. Our serving is pretty good. We’ve improved our consistency in those two areas. We try to have better matchups at the net. We do that very well.”