The Kosciusko volleyball era opened last Thursday as the Lady Whippets hosted Noxapater High School for both teams’ season opener.
Scores of fans packed the Whippets’ gymnasium to witness history and support the hometown team in its inaugural volleyball match.
Kosciusko ultimately fell by scores of 25-21, 25-23 and 25-16, but the atmosphere and energy that filled the gym last week will not soon be forgotten by the Whippets’ players.
“We didn’t win, but the kids got a lot of experience, and they got to play a real live game and they experienced adrenaline very quickly because they were hitting the ball a lot harder,” Kosciusko coach Lauren Peresich said.
Peresich called her players’ efforts the “best volleyball I’ve seen my team play ever” and was encouraged by their competitiveness and work as a team.
Kosciusko tallied 24 kills and 15 aces in three matches. Josie Meggs accounted for 50 percent of her team’s kills. Kaitlyn Broyles chipped in with a team-high five aces.
“They got off the ground and spiked it a couple of times and killed it a couple of times,” Peresich said. “Altogether, they were just working as a team and they fought to the very end. They were very scrappy. They were in it to the last point, and that’s what matters to me.”
Peresich met with her team last Friday for film study, sharing things that were not apparent to players during their game.
“I guess they didn’t believe that they looked good, but we watched the film on Friday, and when we looked at that, there were like, ‘Oh — we actually looked pretty good,” Peresich said. “Obviously, there’s that competitive nature in them that they really wish they would have won, but they know that it’s a learning process and that they’re getting better every single game.”
The Whippets were set to return to the court on Tuesday for a road match against Nanih Waiya. Peresich said her players are eager to not only get back on the court but the play a different opponent.
“We played summer ball against Noxapater all summer, and I think our girls are excited to see a new face,” Peresich said. “So hopefully, (we’re looking forward to) having that new face and maybe getting a little more competitive.”
Peresich and her players took notes during their film session and listed points of the game they wished to improve. Peresich will compile those notes, find which areas received the most mentions and implement a practice strategy as her team progresses through the season.
“Along with my notes, my plan is to just look at what they said and find some drills for that,” she said.
