WILSON CREEK - The Wilson Creek volleyball team has a new coach looking to build the team's skill levels and fine-tune the fundamentals.

“Obviously winning is nice but I want the girls to develop as players more than anything,” said first-year head coach Christa Christopherson.

Christopherson said she started off the season with only six girls but has grown in just the last week to 10.

While she knows her goals for the team, she said it isn’t easy because she is still getting to know her players and their abilities.

“Being new to the program makes it a little more difficult to figure out where the girls are at and where I want them to be,” Christopherson said.

Despite the challenge, she said her group is a very teachable group and is happy to be there. She also said that they already know what is expected of them.

“The girls know that my expectations of them are: attitude, talk and effort because those are all things you can control,” said Christopherson. “Those three things will set you apart from being a good player and being a great player.”

She also plans to hone the skills the players already have and make sure to correct any bad habits. Christopherson said these skills will also translate to daily life and will benefit the players in the long run.

Christopherson, 21, may be young but has plenty of experience she brings to the table. She was not only a volleyball player herself but she has been an assistant coach for club volleyball for four years.

She said her youth is something she feels is an asset to the team because she can relate to the girls and still has the energy to show them how to do certain skills.

Rebecca Pettingill may be reached at [email protected].