Lady Hawks gaining confidence with early success
Hiland head coach Kelly Miller rallies the troops during a big game with Claymont. The Lady Hawks have been meshing well because of a focus on communication, and it has paid off in the early going.
It’s early in the season, but early results are encouraging for the Hiland Lady Hawks volleyball team.
The Hiland Lady Hawks made quick work of a pair of opponents before the Labor Day weekend set in, dismantling both Massillon and Ridgewood in three-game fashion.
In the Sept. 3 contest with Massillon, the Lady Hawks found a way to edge past the Tigers in three fairly close contests, earning a 25-18, 25-20, 25-21 victory.
In the win Ava Troyer produced 14 kills and a pair of blocks; Ava Weaver dished up 27 assists and added six digs; Haley Yoder added nine kills, six digs and seven service points; and Graci Keim racked up 11 points.
The Lady Hawks had a far easier time in defeating the Generals, pounding out a very quick 25-10, 25-11, 25-16 victory.
Troyer posted 10 kills and four blocks, Weaver collected 24 assists and added 14 points, Yoder reeled off 14 points and had 23 digs, and Lehla Schlabach added 11 points, six kills and eight digs.
The wins improved the Lady Hawks to 5-0 on the campaign, and head coach Kelly Miller is pleased with the progress her team continues to make as it fills in gaps from the loss of graduating seniors from last season’s team.
“The girls are coming together well,” Miller said. “We were concerned at the beginning of the season with things like communication and them meshing, but they continue to improve in both of those areas, and they have already come a long way, and they continue to work very hard on improving them even more.”
Miller said the team is far from peaking, which is a good thing because they want to hit the acme of play at the end of the season. She said what has been the most encouraging through the growing process is how her staff is able to relate instruction to the girls and how readily they learn and apply it.
“The girls are very coachable,” Miller said. “Any time we tell them something different, they do it. I think it’s a great group of kids who have that team-first attitude and want to play for each other. You tell them to do something, and they are so willing to step up and try hard. They don’t ever question our coaching staff’s judgement, and that is exciting.”
One early challenge for Hiland this season was tackling a talented Waynedale crew on Aug. 25. In that contest both teams had chances to win, and each team clawed and fought and played well before the Lady Hawks pulled out a 25-20, 24-26, 25-13, 32-34, 15-12 win.
“That was something,” Miller said. “Our coaching staff all have Apple watches, and our heart rates were sky-high. It felt like we got a workout when we hadn’t done any of the work.”
As for seeing her team respond to the challenge, Miller said it was a game they may not have won last season, but she said the Lady Hawks have developed more mental toughness over the summer.
“Last year we struggled in game fives, and we were so focused on playing not to lose rather than to win,” Miller said. “I felt like our girls played to win that game, which was really exciting.”
Miller said the coaching staff holds very high expectations for the girls, and the girls hold one another accountable to achieve and maintain that high level.
Miller said all summer long this group has continued to encourage and push one another to improve and gel as a team. She said while they knew coming in Troyer and Weaver would be key components, one defining role has developed in another player.
“Haley Yoder just picks up everything in the back row, and that can be demoralizing for teams,” Miller said. “She is so smart, and she’s someone who sees everything on the floor and knows the game so well. It’s like having another coach on the floor. She plays all six rotations for us.”
Miller said Weaver has improved immensely in running their 5-1 set. She said last season Weaver would ask the coaches where she needed to be. This year Miller said her setter is doing things naturally in leading her team and setting the table.
“She’s making decisions on her own now, which is a lot of growth,” Miller said. “We’ve got things to improve, but so far we really like where we are.”