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Metro coasts by Cougars

Volleyball halts streaking University of Colorado at Colorado Springs with preparation, new blocking technique

By Eric Lansing
lansing@mscd.edu

At the beginning of the season, rebuilding was the term coined by Metro head Debbie Hendricks. But after sweeping the No. 1-ranked team in the conference Sept. 21, the Roadrunners may need to change the verbiage to contender.

The Roadrunners used 16 kills from outside hitter Julie Green-Mc- Farland and a game high and season high 18 kills to lead Metro over the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs 30-21, 30-25 and 30-24 at Auraria Courts.

The Mountain Lions came onto Metro’s home court with a ton of momentum with an undefeated record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference at 4-0. They were also carrying a four-game win streak, including a 3-0 rout of Nebraska-Kearney on the Lopers’ home floor, who, at that time, was the top team in the conference.

“I think it was a real confidence boost for us,” Metro head coach Debbie Hendricks said of the win. “We knew we were going to have to play well and we prepared all week in very specific ways.”

The Roadrunners stopped the Mountain Lions’ momentum dead in their tracks posting a season high .288 kill percentage and hold UCCS to a dreadful .124 percentage, including a .093 in the final game.

Hendricks was well prepared for the Mountain Lions’ understanding that their fast-paced game had to be slowed down by aggressive serving and to find a way to get them out of rhythm. And that is exactly what her team did, according to the head coach.

“It is a testament for a young team figuring out that a good week of practice and applying a specific gameplan really did work for them,” Hendricks said.

Continuing her stellar freshman campaign, Ellis came up big in the final game contributing seven kills with an incredible .385 kill percentage.

Blocking has been an issue with this team in the early goings of the season averaging only five blocks per game. Losing three graduating seniors at the middle blocker position has contributed to the lack of numbers in that statistics, but according to Hendricks, her team has stepped up the number of blocks, a stat that has made a huge difference in winning games.

Hendricks attributed her team’s rise in blocks to a change in system from a traditional blocking technique to a swing blocking system.

“So part of what you’re seeing is us finally becoming more comfortable with it and the last couple of weeks put a greater focus on it,” Hendricks said. “I think it’s beginning to come together but I would say we’ve probably dedicated close to half of each practice for the last couple of weeks to blocking in some aspect.”

The Roadrunners have reached the halfway mark of the season, and after starting off slow losing their first six of seven games, the youth movement that Hendricks has had to develop has made huge strides to reel off four wins in five games.

Even in the middle of a game, Hendricks has emphasized to her team that the tough schedule at the start of the season has helped her team grow quickly and because her team never lost confidence despite taking some early season lumps, she knew her players would be well prepared for the teams they were going to encounter in the conference.

On the following day, Metro played even better using a career high 22 kills from Ellis who also added 10 kills to sweep the Rangers of Regis 30-18, 30-21 and 30-21 at Auraria Courts. The Roadrunners also posted a season high .328 kill percentage while holding the Rangers to .086 from the floor.

The two wins improve Metro’s record to 7-8 overall and a 5-1 record in the RMAC. The ’Runners next play host to Fort Lewis who is also 5-1 in the conference.

“When you’re this young and you have so many new players on the floor, it’s hard to know for sure what to expect,” Hendricks said. “But I’m not surprised, because this group has good chemistry, good mentality from the very beginning. I think it is a real strong statement about the commitment each has to each other and to the team they want to be.”