Friday, Nov. 14, 2008

Coach Deems Season of Challenges a Success

NHS Volleyball

By John English

Contributing Writer

The Northwest volleyball team’s season came to an end last Tuesday against former district rival Southlake Carroll, but coach Dayna Horak said the season was successful regardless of the outcome of that game.

Northwest was without three of its players for some or all of the season but still managed to finish 9-5 in District 5-5A competition and wrap up the fourth and final playoff spot.

"I was really proud of the girls in the game against Carroll with the way they fought the whole match," Horak said. "They never did give up; they kept battling, and we had some long rallies. Carroll had to work for every point they made, and I was just really happy with the heart our girls played with."

Horak said she is very happy with the season as a whole, given some of the obstacles the team faced along the way.

"I’m pretty satisfied, but I wish we would have finished higher up in district," Horak said. "We had some things happen throughout the season that we couldn’t control. We had some season ending injuries with Sam Swinnea blowing out her knee before district started. Marisa Morton tore her ACL right before the playoffs.

"Both of them are having surgery over Thanksgiving. We’ve just had some unfortunate things happen with the team throughout the season, but I thought some of the younger kids that stepped in did a great job."

Horak said she believes a number of factors contributed to her team’s success this season.

"I think it was the overall leadership of our seniors," Horak said. "I thought they led by example. Everybody seemed to be really focused on a common goal, and they got along and the team chemistry was good. It is just a good group of girls who worked really hard."

Horak said things are shaping up well for next season, as well.

"Our numbers look really good," Horak said. "Our freshman A team won the district championship. Our JV finished 10-4, so we are strong all the way down ... it’s going to be hard to replace our seniors, it always is, but you have to look to the future. We’ve got eight girls with varsity experience coming back, so we should be in good shape."

Horak said she hopes her players take away a couple of things from this season.

"I’d like for them to know that they did their best, and I hoped they had fun," Horak said. "That’s the most important thing, is that they had fun with each other and learned and grew with each other. I think the way that we got into playoffs this year will just further the younger kids desire to get there again next year."

Paige McMillan, Olivia Moody, Marisa Morton, Sam Sanders and Sam Swinnea are Northwest’s seniors.