IR volleyball brings experience and new offense to the net

Key returning players and a new offensive scheme are hoped come together this year for Indian River’s varsity volleyball team, which is looking to improve on last season’s 4-11 record. Head coach Mark Sewell and assistant coach Phil Mead are also optimistic about the team’s new positive attitude, which has been apparent at practices and scrimmages during the preseason.

The roster, consisting entirely of juniors and seniors, is filling the gaps left by last year’s graduating starters, Katelyn Null and Emily Paul.

“We’re fortunate to have a lot of girls returning,” said Sewell. “A lot of hitters are stepping up for us, and it’s nice to have the number of girls coming back that we have. Brook Ash and Molly Brennan are back with us, and Alex Lagunes has really taken a strong role as our captain.”

Lagunes will help to anchor the team as the setter, in the team’s 5-1 offense.

“We’ve really been focusing on the fundamentals of the game,” Sewell said. “We’ve returned to the 5-1 – a formation that I worked with while coaching under Jess Dodd – and the girls are adjusting well. We’re ironing out all the wrinkles in that right now.”

Playing with five hitters and one passer, the arrangement makes for a very aggressive style of play.

“You see it used in a lot of college volleyball,” Sewell added. “Our girls understand how to pass and transition well off of it, and they’re really having fun. There’s a lot of pressure on Alex to anticipate where the pass is coming from and penetrate all over the court. She will be a very busy player, but she has already shown she is capable.”

Varsity experience from Kitty Cole, Abby Miller and Emma Cannon helps to fill up this year’s roster, as a few additions to the varsity squad will assist in this season’s game play.

“[Outside hitter] Laura Seitz has been doing a really good job for us,” Sewell noted, “and Holland McKimmie and Tyler Garrett are some of our key newcomers.”

Part of the team’s promise this season stems from the Lady Indian’s improved attitude from last year.

“The confidence is definitely up,” said Mead. “They are positive and smiling every time they come out to practice.”

Indian River was able to go 5-3 in an Ocean City, Md., scrimmage a few weeks ago, and finished 3-2 at the James M. Bennett invitational last week.

“We got to play a very tough Salisbury team,” said Sewell. “They played almost five straight hours of volleyball, but you could really see everything coming together. We got to see teams that we won’t see again all season. The philosophy around that is we get to work our ins and outs. Instead of scrimmaging within the conference, we get to see competitive play elsewhere. It’s great for something different.”

The Lady Indians will open up in a little over a week with the same four games as the season kicked off with on last year’s schedule, beginning with Sussex Central on Tuesday, Sept. 14. It was the only game of the first four in which the Indians came out victorious, dropping games to Caesar Rodney, Caravel Academy and Smyrna.

“We’re taking one game at a time,” Sewell noted. “We open up again with [Sussex] Central, so our eyes are on that game and no one else. They’re a well-coached team with great players. We just need to play one day at a time. We’re still trying to become a team that transitions well with each other, and we’re learning where we need to be at and how to work with one another.”

Serving is one of the team’s strong points, warranting minimal focus at practice and leaving more time for other areas of concern.

“This year,” Sewell said, “the team’s chemistry is key. The girls are enjoying each other’s company, and their confidence is way up.”