Scottie Volleyball Hungry for State Hardware

After a little over a week's worth of practice, the Glasgow Scottie volleyball season is underway. The Scotties played their annual Red/White scrimmage game on Aug. 26 to start getting themselves physically and mentally prepared for the first tournament of the year, the Choteau Invitational on Aug. 30 and 31.

"The benefit of having a tough tournament early in the year is having the ability to study the teams we will run into at Divisionals. We can study them so we know what to focus on before and leading up to Divisionals," said head coach Somer Hoerster.

In addition to coach Hoerster returning back to her second season as head coach, five seniors, two juniors and four sophomores will also be returning to the court. "I have been with these girls for four years or longer. They know me well enough now where I don't have to say anything. They know what I'm thinking by just looking at my face," said Hoerster. Having that established relationship with each other will help propel the Scotties to the next level. "I have a really good group this year. The kids play well together as a group, and they are hungry for the next level and a trip to State this year," stated Hoerster.

As with every season, the goal is to get to the State championship and bring home hardware. This year is no different, and each girl on the team is ready for their shot in the spotlight. "We have enough talented players this year. If they make up their minds, they are capable of going to State this year. They just need to get mentally prepared for what it will take," stated Hoerster.

In addition to being mentally prepared to punch the ticket to State, the team is also focusing on not giving up easy points and compensating for the skills they do have. "As a team we can't be giving up points. Our team goal is to have 85 percent of our serves be in bounds. We can be up three to four points, and the moment a serve is missed, we can lose momentum," said Hoerster.

Another aspect the Scottie girls need to overcome is their height. "We are not a super tall team. We need to find ways to out-work the other team, and having a fast offense is one of the ways. We need to push a fast pace game as much as possible and don't give the defense a chance," explained Hoerster.

The first weeks of practice have been and will continue to be focusing on conditioning, serving and passing work. "The setter should always have two or three options to set to our hitters. We need to be keeping blockers on the other side on their toes. If we don't serve or pass well, then it can be chaotic on the floor," explained Hoerster. Many of the girls on the team this year are multi-sport athletes so they are aware of the mental aspect of reaching their goals. They will have to adjust physically, however, as volleyball utilizes different movements than what their bodies might be used to. Since there is more jumping involved compared to other sports,"there are lots of different muscles used," explained Hoerster.

Hoerster is not new to the sport of volleyball as in addition to starting her second year as head coach, she previously was the JV coach for eight to nine years, and has also coached the C-squad, all for Glasgow. Prior to that, she coached in Nashua for a few years. In addition to coaching, Hoerster played volleyball for the Scotties during her high school career, after moving from Havre. She spent her 16th birthday at the state volleyball tournament, with her team receiving fourth. "Getting to state and achieving fourth-place really hooked all of us. We were this close to bringing home hardware. And from that point forward we did everything we could to bring home State," recalled Hoerster. Her senior year, the team did it, bringing home the State title for the first time in Glasgow history. "I hold onto those memories. We had a goal as a team, we worked our butts off, made friendships and experiences. I want that for my girls," said Hoerster.

One thing she carries with her from the time she spent in volleyball and her time coaching, is that nothing is given. "Who is going to be physically and mentally ready to contribute to be the best? Everyone needs to work everyday and earn their spot on the team," state Hoerster. In order to gain the skills and put the work in, the girls are able and going to be playing at two levels, often playing both a JV and Varsity game in the same night. "Some kids will play double duty with either a JV game and Varsity game. In the end, it will make them a better volleyball player," said Hoerster.

The girls are ready to put in the hard work, determination, and the physical and mental preparedness necessary to bring home some hardware from State for Glasgow. After the Choteau Invitational, the girls will travel to participate in the Chinook Invitational on Friday, Sept. 6 and Sept. 7, followed by their first home game of the season on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 4 p.m.