WILSON CREEK — The Wilson Creek Devils volleyball team may not have had the year they wanted last year, with a loss to the Soap Lake squad keeping them from state competition, but Coach Christa Christopherson said she’s ok with those losses in the short term as she works to build the team’s foundation. 

“Our (2023) season ended a little disheartening,” she said. “We lost to Soap Lake for the game going to state, but (my team) played really well, and they definitely left it all out on the court.” 

Christopherson said she has a mostly younger team with about two-thirds of the athletes on the squad juniors, sophomores or freshmen.  

“Last year, I had two seniors and three foreign exchange students,” she said. “So, obviously, I lost half my team (from last year to this year).” 

As a result, she’s really focused on developing skills that can help players be intentional when they’re on the court. She said the team had solid hitting skills last year, but the tactics weren’t where she wanted them to be. Players weren’t looking for weaknesses in their opponents’ defenses to aim the ball at, and that prevented scoring as well as she’d have liked. This year’s practices are focused on changing that. 

“They’re not just sending the ball over, just because,” Christopherson said. “They’re sending the ball over with a purpose – hitting spots, trying to find holes in their (opponents’) defense.”  

The team plays well when that is the focus, she said, so building on that skillset is a big part of practice on a regular basis. Much of the what the team is doing is working to make sure they have a strong, strategic offense that identifies weaknesses and uses them to score. Some of that is aiming the ball like a marksman at openings on the court while at other times it might be a gentle tap over the net rather than a solid spike. It’s all about strategy in Christopherson’s third year as head coach of the team.  

Communication is one of the key skills players need, Christopherson said. Tuesday’s practice at the Stevens Hay Gym saw the Devils performing drills to focus on calling shots, keeping mobile and working with the ball. 

Team co-captains Cassie Hinen and Neeley Odorizzi said they’ve seen their coach’s strategy help the team grow. Not only are the skillsets on the team growing, but the relationships and communication necessary to be successful on the court are as well under Christopherson’s guidance. 

“We have accomplished more than we did generally (before Christopherson took over), for a few years prior to that,” Odorizzi said. “I would say that we have learned more skills in general and how volleyball works, rather than just playing the game.”  

The team has grown closer with that strong leadership, Hinen said.  

“I feel like the team has come a lot closer together,” Hinen said. “We’ve grown into a family and more, just like teammates, gotten really close. It’s been a lot of fun and you can feel it’s better than what it was before. We’ve learned a lot.” 

Both players said they feel as though they’re going to be stronger this year than last, just as they were stronger last year than the year before. They hope the rest of the team, which Odorizzi said was more like a group of siblings than just friends, continues to grow and gain the wins that neither player nor team get from a simple score. Rather, the wins that come from growing skills, improving strategy and supporting one another. 

Christopherson is working to make sure the entire team has the mindset to look for both the traditional and the proverbial wins. 

“It’s just trying to switch their mentality from, like, yes, everyone wants to win. Winning is great, but be smart about how you win. You don’t always have to kill the ball to win the game,” the coach said.  

    Wilson Creek Volleyball co-captain Cassie Hinen watches to see where her serve landed during practice. The Devils are focused on a more precise offense this year as they prep for the fall season.
  

    The Wilson Creek Devils volleyball squad runs drills during a Tuesday practice. Their drill was focused on communication and mobility on the court.
  

    The Wilson Creek volleyball squad listens to instructions from Coach Christa Christopherson prior to practicing drills Tuesday.
  

    Wilson Creek Volleyball co-captain Neeley Odorizzi leaps up for a power serve during practice at the Stevens Hay Gym on Tuesday. Odorizzi is one of the few seniors on the team.