Carlmont’s growing volleyball program is looking to continue its success from the 2013-2014 season. Last fall, the varsity volleyball team finished with a 11-3 record.
Varsity coach Chris Crader said, “We have the opportunity to be very successful again this year, and hopefully we can get as much out of the season as we can.”
Carlmont High School is home to a strong volleyball program, with 42 players competing for one of the three designated teams- the freshmen team, the junior varsity team (JV), and the varsity team.
There was not always a freshmen team, however, the new team was added last year due to popular demand. Crader said, “Every year the program gets deeper; there are more and more good volleyball players in this area that are coming to Carlmont, so there is more and more and more competition. This year, there was even strong competition to make the freshman team.”
Volleyball is a sport played by two teams of six players on a court divided by a high net where a large ball is hit back and forth. If a team cannot return the ball over the net or prevent it from hitting the ground on their side of the court, a point is given to the opposing team.
“Volleyball is really fast paced and requires a lot of very complicated and different skills from all the players. It has more people in a smaller area than any other sport, so it’s pretty exciting. When it’s played correctly, it’s a very athletic sport,” said Crader.
Senior Natalie Tussy said, “I expect our volleyball program this year to do well, we have some really strong players.  For varsity, we have the potential to do especially well in league. Regardless, we all still have room for improvement in some areas but I’m confident that we have the strength and desire to improve.”
JV is looking for success and improvement during this season as well. Â Sophomore Rachel Ware said, “We have better defense this year, and we are better at placement this year. We have a good coach too, so things are looking good for this season.”
Crader is undergoing his fourth season with Carlmont volleyball. With regards to the varsity team, he said, “This season, I feel like we have a lot of talented players who are ready to take the next step in their volleyball career, and I hope all of them can take a big step and improve and reach their potential as quickly as possible.”
“Our goal is to come to practice everyday and get better as fast as we can and if we do that, we’ll have a good year,” said Crader.
