SJA working to get better

• By ROBIN FAMBROUGH
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Aug 7, 2008 - UPDATED: 6:32 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

When your team compiles a 37-8 record and wins a state title in your first year, there may be a tendency to think things can’t get much better.

For Sivi Miller, better is a relative term. The only thing the St. Joseph’s Academy coach is interested in now is how her volleyball team can improve for the upcoming season.

“We met last weekend and did some team building work,” Miller said. “One of the first things I told them is that this is a new year. The state title and the matches we won last year don’t count. They don’t guarantee us anything this year.”

The Redstickers, who began conditioning drills this week, do have plenty to look forward to. With seven seniors and seven players who were part of last season’s rotation returning, SJA will again be one of the teams to watch, not only locally but also statewide in Division I-Class 5A.

As she enters her second season at St. Joseph’s, Miller acknowledges the challenges and embraces the changes. Metro Division I-II Outstanding Player Rosalind Kenny was among the players the Redstickers graduated.

However, Division I state tourney MVP Kaitlin Hatcher, a 5-foot-9 libero, is part of the senior group. SJA will have size with 5-11 junior outside hitter-middle blocker Cori Martone, 5-10 senior middle blocker Carol-Ann Bryant and two other 5-10 seniors, sisters Kendall Knobloch and Kelsey Knobloch.

Miller is a former Tulane player who spent nine years as coach at New Orleans-based Cabrini before moving to Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina. She knows her team will need more than size to measure up to potentially lofty expectations.

“Every team is different,” Miller said. “I think each team has its own personality. That’s one of the things you want to develop now.”

If chemistry equates to sweat and tears, then the Redstickers are on their way. This week’s daily regimen includes two-hour conditioning practices for the 23 players on the SJA varsity and junior varsity.

Practice starts with 15-to-20 minutes of basic condition, stretching and agility drills. From there, the Redstickers move on ball-handling, defensive and team transition drills. By the end of a practice, the SJA players have worked on the basic skills.

They also are drilled where they will need to be on offense and defense, much like football coaches do during their offseason practices. Players rotate from station to station. Once practice ends, tryouts for the St. Joseph’s freshman team begin and last another two hours.

“From my own experience as a player and coach, I can tell you that a team is usually only as good as its leadership,” Miller said. “Fortunately, this group has some strong leaders and a good group of seniors and juniors.”

Senior defensive specialist Gabe Chabert (5-4), junior outside hitter Caroline May (5-9), junior setter Ashley Legendre (5-5) and junior defensive specialist Morgan Adams (5-5) team with Hatcher, Martone and Bryant to provide the returning nucleus.