Generals remain perfect but striving to get better
As Wooster’s volleyball team entered the midway point of the season, it found itself with a perfect record and a No. 3 ranking in the first Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association State Poll.
Don’t tell Generals’ Jen Snowbarger that.
Sure, the veteran coach is pleased with the progress of her team — which lost eight seniors from a year ago — but she knows the season is a long and winding road.
“We just had a talk the other day that I’m never a ‘good-enough person,’” Snowbarger said. “It is what it is, and we keep doing what we always do. Nothing changes based on our record. Nothing changes based on our ranking. We’re working hard, and we’re still not good enough.”
Entering the week of Sept. 18 with an 11-0 record including 8-0 in the Ohio Cardinal Conference, Wooster is poised for another league title and a deep postseason run.
The way the Generals have done it, though, has been even more impressive.
Despite losing talented seniors like All-Ohio Marin Dixon, the program hasn’t missed a beat behind talented sophomore outside hitter Sara Snowbarger and a host of veterans including middle hitter Grace Jones and outsides Megan Lantis and Josie Wright. Wright transferred to Wooster from neighboring Northwestern in the offseason.
That balanced group of returnees, combined with a host of newcomers who have settled into their roles, is a big reason why the Generals find themselves in a familiar position.
“We lost eight seniors, and they all contributed a lot,” coach Snowbarger said. “Though we had people back, we had a lot of rookies to the court. I’m starting to see more confidence in them, which is awesome for the season, and hopefully, we keep progressing.”
Sara Snowbarger, who is among some of the state’s top underclassman and is already getting looks from big-time collegiate programs, has been one of those impact players as she has averaged 5.3 kills per set through the first 11 matches of the fall and has posted a 0.437 hitting percentage.
Combine that with Snowbarger’s ability to control things at the service line (team-best 35 aces) and defensively (4.0 digs/set) and Wooster has someone who can play every rotation.
“I think a lot of us realized that we needed to step up and have a bigger role this year,” she said. “Everyone has accepted that, and I think we’re doing really well right now. I think our older players are doing a great job of leading the team, and I think we come into each practice ready to work hard, so it’s just a special team.”
Those upperclassmen, like Jones (16 total blocks, 2.5 digs/set, 23 aces), Lantis (2.8 kills/set, 3.5 digs/set, 28 aces) and Wright (2.7 kills/set, 15 blocks), have helped complement Sara Snowbarger while setters Bri Hewitt and Jillian Mann have kept the attack running with efficiency.
The Generals, who have lost just two of their 32 sets this season, enter the second half of the league with a two-match lead on the OCC field and a host of nonconference tests including GlenOak, Hudson, Canton Central Catholic and Massillon Perry.
And for coach Snowbarger, it’s going to come down to execution and improvement, if the Generals hope to reach their goals at season’s end.
“I think that if we keep practicing our fundamentals, keep practicing our skills, and we do these things day-in and day-out in practice and when you perform in a game, it’s just what we do,” she said. “We definitely have depth in many areas. It’s just working on our weaknesses constantly, and hopefully, other teams can’t exploit them.
“Right now it’s good enough, but we’re still not good enough to quit working hard.”