Volleyball Opens Fall Practice
8/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 12, 2004
WACO, Texas - The Baylor volleyball team completed its first full day of practice with a pair of three-hour sessions Thursday at Marrs McLean Gymnasium. Six returning letterwinners, two redshirts from last year and four freshman are on the Bears' roster to begin the season. "After one practice, I like our starting point," first-year head coach Jim Barnes said. "The returning players are focused and are eager to prove something this year, and the freshmen are jumping on board with what we're trying to accomplish right away. Once we start scrimmaging, we'll see the competitors come out and see what this group can do in game-type situations." During the morning practice, the Bears spent about an hour on basic footwork patterns for ball control and added passing to their drills for the second hour. For the third hour, the team broke down court movement and Barnes said he and the staff were trying to eliminate bad techniques to get everyone on the same page. The Bears continued to stress fundamentals and started hitting more in the afternoon practice. "It was a good practice to work on fundamentals and bring the newcomers along," junior setter Emily Huston (Santa Rosa, Calif.) said. "The freshmen fit in really well, and we have welcomed them with open arms." Freshman outside hitter Krystle Everett (Crandall, Texas) suffered Baylor's first injury of the season as her kneecap popped out during a running drill. Barnes said there was no tearing, so she should be able to rebound and rejoin workouts soon. Baylor will hold its annual intrasquad Green & Gold Scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 28 at 4 p.m. at the Ferrell Center.
