By Jayson Henderson

The upcoming volleyball season holds high expectations for Coach Robert Moran and his team. In a recent interview, Moran shared insights into their preparation, goals, and key matchups.

“Our primary goal is going to be just to live up to the expectations that I think we’ve established from last year with the talent we’ve got returning,” said Moran, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the standards set by their previous successes.

The team has been actively preparing during the offseason with rigorous training. “We spent the whole month of June basically doing volleyball. We had open gyms twice a week. We played summer league in Manhattan two nights a week where we had four teams playing summer league and a total of 37 girls playing summer league volleyball,” Moran detailed.

This intensive training included participation in multiple tournaments. “Early June, we hosted a seven-team tournament at our place. Then we went to a tournament in Garden Plain, KS down by Wichita, and we also finished up June with a two-day tournament in Abilene,” said Moran, highlighting the extensive match experience gained during this period.

Despite losing three seniors, the team remains strong. “We started three freshmen last year, so we’re still kind of on the verge of being somewhat young, but also pretty experienced with our returning group,” Moran noted. He added that the team boasts a large roster with between 35 and 40 players, fostering internal competition and enhancing overall performance.

Key matchups for the season include league newcomer Rock Creek and state-ranked teams Beloit and Ellenwood. “Our toughest match looks to be probably Rock Creek. They’re joining the league this year and have had a lot of success the last few years,” Moran said.

This match is set to be the team’s first league night and home match, making it a significant event.

Additionally, Moran has been working on introducing new coaching strategies. “One of the things I started thinking about in the spring was running a little bit different offense. It’s more of a non-traditional offense,” he explained. This approach aims to capitalize on the versatility of the players, and it has shown promise during summer practices.

Moran expressed the team’s eagerness for the season, saying, “I know the girls are excited. I’ve kind of had to hold them back a few times because I know they sometimes want to do more than I think is probably healthy for us at times.” He also mentioned plans to promote the team’s home games to attract more spectators.

The community and fans can look forward to an exciting season with high-level competition and a team ready to meet and exceed expectations.