Volleyball prepares for Bobcat Classic

Derek Roberts

@ATLSportsDerek

Coming off of a disappointing 2014 campaign, the women’s volleyball team is eager to kick-start the 2015 season with the Bobcat Classic – the first volleyball tournament hosted by Georgia College.

The ladies’ endurance will be tested right off the bat, as they’ll play three games in a 24-hour span. The Bobcats will face Charleston (W.V.) on Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. Then on Sept. 5, they’ll play Limestone at 10 a.m. and No. 15 ranked Wingate at 6 p.m.

The team finished last year 7-20, and as the volleyball program approaches its third season of existence, Head Coach Gretchen Krumdieck stressed the importance of exiting the tournament with some wins.

“It’s one game at a time, but wins would be very good just because of the way things ended last year,” Krumdieck said. “We just need to get over that hump. I think things can go our way as long as everything falls into place.”

GC’s first three games are against regional opponents but are non-conference games. Krumdieck said playing non-conference opponents makes creating a game plan difficult because of the lack of information on the teams.

“No scouting reports, so, basically, our goal is to go out there and take care of business and play our style,” Krumdieck said.

The team only lost one senior from last year’s roster, and in exchange, brought in three freshmen: setter Kayla Brockway, outside hitter Ebony Powers and middle blocker Taylor Svehla.

Krumdieck said she’s been impressed by the freshmen and that she expects all of them to play pivotal roles in the upcoming season. She also said the three newcomers have transitioned nicely from high school to the college level, but there’s still work to do as the team only has a few practices remaining until the season starts.

“We’re just focusing on the team and trying to mesh and gel together,” Krumdieck said.

Krumdieck gave praise to middle blocker Bailey Freeman, defensive specialist Ella Anastasiades, setter Mollie Michael and right-side hitter Caroline Long. She said she expects them to have great seasons and to help mentor the younger players.

With the Classic only a week away, Krumdieck is optimistic about the Bobcats’ chances. “We’re a very different team than last year,” she said. “We had a very good spring. Things have started clicking at the right time, and people are really doing a good job.”