THE CODY FILLIES VOLLEYBALL TEAM HAS BEEN RUNNING TWO-A-DAYS PRACTICE FOR THEIR FIRST WEEK BACK IN ACTION AND THEY WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY. THIS IS A YOUNG BUT TALENTED TEAM THAT WILL BE LED BY THEIR THREE SENIORS: BRITTAN BOWER, ALLY SCHROEDER AND GRACE SCHAFFER. ALL THREE GIRLS BRING A UNIQUE SKILL SET TO THE TABLE AND CAN’T WAIT TO GET THE SEASON UNDERWAY.
THIS IS A DEDICATED SENIOR GROUP, ONE THAT KNOWS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE AND MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT. BRITTAN TALKS ABOUT THE WORK THAT WAS PUT IN DURING THE OFF-SEASON.
“YEAH, SO AS FAR AS VOLLEYBALL GOES WE ACTUALLY, AS SOON AS COVID HIT, WE DID AN INDIVIDUALIZED WORKOUT PROGRAM. SO THE WHOLE TEAMS’ BEEN DOING STUFF ALL SUMMER AND THEN WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO GET BACK TOGETHER AND START KIND OF COMPETING AS A TEAM THAT REALLY HELPED AS WELL, BUT I THINK INDIVIDUALLY WE WORKED REALLY HARD IN THE OFF-SEASON. SO IT SHOULD SHOW DURING THE SEASON.”
BRITTAN SAYS AGILITY AND SPEED WORK WAS A HUGE EMPHASIS AT PRACTICE THIS OFF-SEASON BUT ALSO ADDS HOW SHE AND HER FELLOWS SENIORS IMPROVED AS LEADERS.
“GOING INTO THIS LAST SEASON I THINK WE’RE KIND OF CHERISHING THE MOMENTS WE HAVE. WE DEFINITELY, BETWEEN US THREE, HAVE TAKEN A BIG LEADERSHIP ROLE. GOING IN THESE LAST FEW YEARS AND ALREADY GOING THROUGH VOLLEYBALL, AND I THINK THE BIGGEST THING WE CAN DO IS KIND OF JUST PASS ON OUR MORALS TO THE YOUNGER GIRLS AND JUST TEACH THEM WHAT CODY VOLLEYBALL IS ABOUT.”
AS FOR ALLY SCHROEDER, ONE THING THAT SEPARATES HERSELF IS HER OUTSTANDING WORK ETHIC, NOT THAT EVERYONE DOESN’T WORK HARD, SHE TAKES IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL. ALLY TALKS ABOUT HOW THIS TEAM PLANS TO OUTWORK AND OUT HUSTLE EVERYONE.
“OH YEAH, FOR SURE. I THINK WE’RE ONE OF THE HARDEST WORKING TEAMS IN THE STATE. I THINK BECAUSE PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE US SO MUCH AND THINK SO LOW, LIKE SOMETIMES LOWLEY OF US, CAUSE WE’RE SMALL, THAT WE’RE GOING TO BE AN EASY TEAM TO BEAT. I THINK WE SHOCK A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE WE’RE NOT THAT TYPE OF TEAM. WE’RE VERY SCRAPPY AND WE’RE VERY GRITTY AND WE JUST HAVE A LOT TO OFFER, EVEN THOUGH WE’RE SMALL.”
DEFENSE, HARD WORK AND GRIT ARE TURNING INTO A THEME OF THIS YEARS SQUAD AND ALLY BELIEVES THEIR SUCCESS ALL STARTS ON DEFENSE.
“SO I THINK OUR DEFENSE HAS ACTUALLY GOTTEN A LOT BETTER THAN LAST YEAR. I THINK WE REALIZE THAT WE DON’T HAVE THE BIG BLOCKERS LIKE OTHER SCHOOLS DO AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST KEYS TO WINNING OUR SEASON IS BY DEFENSE AND DIGGING EVERY BALL WE CAN.”
GRACE SCHAFFER WILL BE ENTERING HER THIRD YEAR AS THE FILLIES SETTER. GRACE TALKS ABOUT THAT ROLE AND WHAT SHE LIKES BEST ABOUT IT.
“IT’S LIKE THE QUARTERBACK OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM. I’VE BEEN RAISED UP TO BE A LEADER AND I REALLY LIKE THAT TYPE OF PLAY. I REALLY LIKE BEING A LEADER. THAT’S WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING THE SETTER. I REALLY LIKE BRINGING IN THE GIRLS AND BEING LIKE, IF THEY’RE NOT HAVING A VERY GOOD DAY, TO JUST BRING THEM IN, GET THEM TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND JUST REASSURE THEM THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK. SO THAT’S A REALLY FUN PART TOO, FOR ME.”
AND JUST HOW GOOD CAN THIS TEAM BE? GRACE SAYS THE SKIES THE LIMIT.
“I THINK WE CAN DO A BUNCH OF GOOD STUFF. LIKE YOU SAID, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE BUT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE… I SWEAR, I HAVE NEVER SEEN AS MUCH TALENT AS THIS BEFORE. LIKE IT’S CRAZY, THEY’RE JUST SO GOOD. YOU DON’T REALLY HAVE TO TEACH THEM ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY KIND OF JUST KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING AND I REALLY THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE HELPFUL BECAUSE THEY ARE SO YOUNG. THEY ARE REALLY FEISTY, THEY’RE REALLY PASSIONATE, THEY’RE ALSO REALLY COMPETITIVE. SO THAT JUST MAKES ANYTHING POSSIBLE.”
THE CODY FILLIES WILL HOST THEIR FIRST VOLLEYBALL MATCHES OF THE SEASON INSIDE SWEITZER GYMNASIUM THIS WEEKEND. FRIDAY THEY HOST SHOSHONI AT 5PM, SATURDAY THEY’RE HOME VS. LANDER AT 1PM.
FULL INTERVIEWS BELOW:
