HailStateVB Spring Practice Report - Week Two
Each week at HailState.com, we will give you an inside look as the Mississippi State volleyball program goes through spring training. Here's our second edition of our weekly spring training report.
As warmer weather begins to make it’s presence known in Starkville, week two of spring practice is up and running for David McFatrich and his Mississippi State volleyball program. And there are no signs of slowing down for the new leader of the Maroon and White and his squad.
“We had a really good practice to start the week,” McFatrich said. “You cannot fault the effort of our players. The energy is there and has been since day one. “
Even though spring practice began two weeks ago on March 2, MSU enters only its second week of the 33-day stretch following a week off for the school’s spring break. Despite players being off the court for a week, McFatrich complimented his club on showing no signs of digression from the first week. In fact, McFatrich knew they were ready the night before.
“I thought it would disrupt the flow, but all the players came back ready to go,” McFatrich said. “We tweeted on Sunday night how ready we were to get back in the gym and all the players dovetailed what we said. They came back ready to rock and roll.”
Where for many college students jumping back on the grind after a week of relaxation is not necessarily the easiest thing, this group of players proved the norm wrong. And to their coaches, it all goes back to how they are as individuals.
Following practice, McFatrich emphasized how well-rounded his players are, giving 100 percent from start to finish, no matter the time of day.
“This is just a really good group of girls that always want to be in the gym,” McFatrich said. “We’re asking them to do a lot of things, but they are not complaining. They are getting after it.”
With the style of play and the mentality of practices McFatrich is looking to instill in the MSU volleyball program, having a group of dedicated and hard-working players is exactly what he needs.
“The way we play, we think it’s better to have a lot of things going on,” McFatrich said. “They don’t need to worry about whether or not they will grasp the things we’re teaching them. They will get a hold of those things in due time. For now, they just need to keep focusing on the effort and energy they’re giving.”
When the Bulldogs took the court for the first practice of the McFatrich era, the basics of communication, intensity and being aggressive were highly preached. Those same practices were highly mentioned by the MSU coaching staff on Monday, but McFatrich does admit that the mindset has changed a bit as State entered week two.
After a high-energy first week on the court, the MSU coaches have been pushing the squad to keep on an “upward path.”
“We told the team that we got to a point where we were aiming for right before spring break and that it was time to take it up a notch,” McFatrich said. “We have kicked up the intensity a little and will have to keep doing that as we go along. We don’t ever want things to stay the same.”
As time carries on, the Bulldogs will keep expanding their arsenal, delving more into strategies and game plans instead of just the basics. However, much like the slow crawl from winter to spring in the state of Mississippi (and like many good things in life), it’s a process that takes time, dedication and effort. Luckily for McFatrich, he has all those qualities in this group of Bulldogs.