Lady Mustangs Use Break To Fine-tune For Post-season
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usKalaheo head girls volleyball coach Roberta Downey welcomes its bye week (one and a half weeks without a match) to do some fine-tuning.
“I think it will be good for us,” said Downey as they prepare for next week’s OIA post-season tournament. “We can regroup, get more reps, and make our weaknesses stronger. The bad thing for our girls is that it falls during school break, so they can’t vacation with their families. For me, it’s good because I can do a little one-on-one work and build on our team chemistry.”
The Mustangs ended the OIA White Conference season with nine straight wins heading into last weekend’s finale with Kaimuki. They will likely be the second seed out of the East next week when the tourney begins. That would likely mean playing projected West No. 3 seed Leilehua.
Regardless of the opponent, Downey is looking for a big effort from senior Jowell Guerriero, who she said has been the White’s most visible player. “I tell our girls that the only girl who can stop Jowell is Jowell. She’s also leading us in digs on the defensive side. She carries our entire team. The best part is that she is humble. She is, by far, the best player in the league.”
Guerriero missed all of 2009 with a torn ACL from a match against Roosevelt, which also handed the Mustangs their only loss of 2010 on Aug. 26. The team avenged that defeat with a big win over the Rough Riders Sept. 20.
“At the time they were still undefeated and it was senior night, so it was a great night for us,” Downey recalled. “We’re excited about being 10-1, but we know everyone will bring their best game to the playoffs.”
She also praised junior outside hitter Paris Bell. “She’s become a force to be reckoned with. She asks a lot of questions, and she always wants to get better. She’s making herself more available in the middle. She hits hard and gets points when we need them, and she’s been blocking well.”
Downey’s faith in the block has improved significantly in recent weeks - a trend she hopes will continue in the playoffs. “Our hitting and blocking have come through in the last four or five games. That’s been a key component in our success. We’ve timed the block well. We’ll have to maintain our blocking, and we have to put more balls away, and we definitely have to pass better. When we pass well, no one can stop our hitters. We have to go for the kill. If we can do those things, we should be OK. Hopefully, the playoffs will bring out the best in us.”
The OIA Tournament begins next Tuesday, with the title game on Friday night.
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