Lady Eagles are building communication and trust as their sand volleyball season is in full swing.
Spring Hill, Fla.– Springstead volleyball players are going through a transition from being indoors playing on a hard court to being outdoors in the clear blue skies playing on soft sand. The overall experience is more than just digging ten toes into the sand; it is also about building a partnership.
“It’s our first season playing, so it’s kind of getting used to it and getting into the rhythm of things,” Senior Erin Mause said.
Sand volleyball takes greater leg strength and it’s much harder to regain a set position and execute quick responses. This program is at its beginning stages for the Lady Eagles; practice and learning to apply new techniques is a daily process.
“So far, the girls are putting in a lot of work, and today it showed,” said Springstead volleyball coach Jordan McIntyre.
The Lady Eagles’ final game roster is due by March 16, and this gives Jordan McIntyre a little more time to see how she can make the best-paired teams.
“We are still working out certain people that I want with each other,” McIntyre said. “I am looking for communication… communication is important out here and the will to keep going and pushing when they are down.”
The ability to communicate with each other, even if it’s in their own style of language, is essential to be competitive in this sport. Each paired-team relies on each other independently for executing plays and points- not as a six-player team but a two-player team.
“We just have to learn to work together. We never played like this on the sand and just two on two,” Junior Emily Eurell said. “So it is all communication and having that bond between each other and trusting each other.”
The Lady Eagles took on Tarpon Springs and Lakeland for a district tri-match at Bishop McLaughlin on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 and came away with the following results:
Springstead lost 1-4 to Tarpon Springs.
Pair 1 – Emily Eurell and Erin Mause (Loss 0-2)
Pair 2 – Jeannie Ayala and Katie Pease (Loss 1-2)
Pair 3 – Katie Ryan and Isabel Cleto (Loss 1-2)
Pair 4 – Paola Vicente and Liany Vicente (Loss 0-2)
Pair 5 – Ashley Ward and Yasmin Sardogan (Win 2-1)
Springstead beat Lakeland with three wins and two losses.
Pair 1 – Emily Eurell and Erin Mause (Loss 0-2)
Pair 2 – Jeannie Ayala and Katie Pease (Loss 1-2)
Pair 3 – Katie Ryan and Paola Vicente (Win 2-0)
Pair 4 – Isabel Cleto and Liany Vicente (Win 2-0)
Pair 5 – Ashley Ward and Yasmin Sardogan (Win 2-0)
Upcoming game schedule
Springstead competes in another District tri-match against East Lake and Lake Gibson on March 31 at Bishop McLaughlin. The match begins at 4 pm.
Just some insight to sand volleyball:
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There are two competing teams consisting of two players. To win, the team must have 21 points and be ahead by two points.
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The team has to win two sets, best out of three.
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The court size is 50 feet x 80 feet. The net is 7 ft 4 inches off the ground.
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The team is only allowed three touches of the ball during each active play. Pass/Bump – Set – Spike/Attack.
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Beach volleyballs are softer and just a little bit bigger than indoor volleyballs
