Indiana University Athletics
Volleyball Preseason Diary - Anne Grabow
8/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 17, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - As the Indiana Volleyball squad gears up for its season-opener against Indiana State in the University Gym Aug. 27 at 11 a.m., members of the team will update IUHOOSIERS.com on how training is going. The first player is junior outside hitter Anne Grabow. She talks about some preseason drills and her excitement for IU's scrimmage this Saturday at the U Gym at 3 p.m.
This morning, we started out with a lot of drills working on ball control and defensive adjustments. Our coaches have really been stressing the importance of the first contact when the ball reaches our side of the net. So, we have been doing lots and lots of work on passing and footwork. We split into groups and worked on passing the ball with different combinations of players on the court. This helps give our coach an idea of which players work well next to each other on the floor.
During our afternoon sessions, we usually focus more on the offensive side of the game. This involves a lot of hitting drills and game-like drills, which are a lot of fun. One thing that I have been working on a lot is hitting around blockers. I am a smaller hitter, so it is important for me to choose smart shots and make good choices about where I am hitting the ball. We ended practice with a 15-point scrimmage. It is always exciting when we get to put everything together after breaking it down all day. We continue to improve everyday and are looking forward to our scrimmage this Saturday at 3 p.m. We were all exhausted by 5 p.m., and are looking forward to a day off tomorrow when wehead to a farm in the country to cook out and relax.
