By Tony Burns
Sports Editor
West Side Christian is not a member of the Arkansas Activities Association, which means it can field athletic rosters with students in grades 7-12. The Lady Warriors have a volleyball roster of 18 players, including 13 in grades 7-9.
There’s already a huge difference between the average seventh grader and a high school senior. So, standing the girls side-by-side in a physically competitive setting could be a bit of a strain on all involved.
At West Side, it works, especially this season as the Lady Warriors expect to contend for the conference and state titles in a couple of weeks.
Seniors Lauren Land and Anna Williams and junior Brooklin Pitard form the hub of the Lady Warriors’ team dynamic. Their chemistry together permeates throughout the rest of the roster.
“We have played together for six years,” said Pitard. “We are very close and have built a bond that makes playing together flow really well.”
Pitard, at 5-foot-6, is the team’s Swiss Army knife. The setter and outside hitter is also one of the team’s top servers and back row defenders. On either side of Pitard, are the 6-foot-1 sledge hammers.
Land is the team’s middle blocker and defensive intimidator at the net. Williams, a lefty, plays setter and right-side hitter. The team’s most experienced all-around player, she has committed to play at Central Arkansas.
In addition to their play on the court, the trio has taken a leadership role with so many young players surrounding them.
“I think all three of us lead but in different ways,” Land said. “I try to encourage our younger players and fix their form. I try to lead by example.”
Williams described herself as the “quarterback on the court.” She said the leadership role is shared.
“I think I have managed to develop the leadership role on the team. Brooklin gets everyone hype and complains when we’re quiet. Lauren’s dry sense of humor keeps me going.”
Said Pitard, “I try to encourage the younger girls when they get down and help them if they have questions.”
The Lady Warriors have had a coaching carousel, especially in recent years. The seniors, Williams and Land, have had four different coaches since they were freshmen. The coaches all came from different backgrounds with various levels of experience as coaches and players.
“Having different coaches has helped us immensely because we’ve seen different coaching styles and learned to view the game from different perspectives,” said Williams.
Pitard agreed.
“I feel like this has made our team more flexible because we have learned how to play under many different coaches with many different backgrounds.”
Land said the coaching changes strengthened the team’s core.
“It made it harder as a player because there was a difference in pace of practice, intensity and responsibility as a player. But, I think it made our team’s bond closer because our only constant was each other.”
The list of coaches doesn’t include Randall Miller, who coached the team in the state tournament two years ago and led the squad during the preseason before Adam Willett took over late in the summer.
For some of the younger girls, the three team leaders could be viewed as assistant coaches on the court.
In addition to the age gap, there’s also a disparity in volleyball experience.
Williams has played four years of club volleyball with both Shreveport’s TC Elite and Rocket Fuel out of the Ruston area. Both Land and Pitard have played two years with Rocket Fuel.
“Playing club volleyball helped me with my speed on the court as well as increasing my volleyball IQ,” Williams said.
Pitard and Land both agreed, club volleyball exposed them to a faster pace and a more intense style of play.
“It opened my eyes to the talent around me,” said Pitard, who talked about the challenges of playing beside girls with less experience.
“Being on a team with girls who are younger or not as experienced has some challenges. But, seeing them grow and get better at their skills is very rewarding. This also teaches me patience. Plus, it’s only fair because the other girls had to deal with me when I came in and had never touched a volleyball before.”
For the seniors, helping the younger players has benefited their own game.
“Playing with other players that haven’t had as many years under their belt has helped me to be able to teach them new things, which has also helped me better know the court and other positions,” Williams said.
Land added, “It helps me to be able to coach myself, also. If I help them, then it makes me hold myself to a higher standard. I do get frustrated at times but I know that playing with them will make them better as a player.”