Chemistry is key on the court

Watching a North Carolina volleyball game is like watching an intricate dance among the six players on the court. Whether it's jumping up for the kill or diving to save the ball, each player's movements are in sync with every other player on the court.

The amount of communication and teamwork that goes into the game is unimaginable, as every player is looking to the air rather than at each other. And yet, not once was there a collision in the Tar Heels' Friday matchup against Purdue.

And with a team put together with players from all over the nation, and seven incoming freshman, Coach Joe Sagula needed a quick way to get his team familiar with each other.

"We are with each other every day as you go through drills, you go through different types of things on the court and off the court," Sagula said. "We just want the girls to know each other as much as possible. - We spend a lot of down time together that allows us to know each other as people."

But knowing one another as people won't win an ACC title.

"On the court you put them through so many types of experiences that you hope that they are going to learn and put the players in stressful situations and easy situations and see how they work with each other," Sagula said.

Watching the team, one can see this practice paying off. The team listens and communicates with one another as if it were second nature.

"I think we are doing great this year, everybody is working so hard and working really hard together," said senior Taylor Rayfield. "Everyone is helping each other out no matter what year they are. Everyone is doing so good. I'm really impressed with our team."

During the preseason, Sagula took his team on a white-water rafting trip to allow the girls, especially the newcomers, to get to know each other.

"I think that everyone has worked together really well, especially with the number of new players that we have," said senior Dani Nyenhuis. "People are working hard and I think that is going to take us far eventually.

"It is going to take us a while to get used to the actual competition of it and learning how to win, but as far as the team, everyone is getting along and meshing pretty well."

As seniors, Nyenhuis and Rayfield know the importance of getting along on the court.

"It's fun, (the freshmen) are new but they are playing good," Rayfield said. "Once you get to this level you are no longer a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, you're a (Division I) volleyball player.

"It doesn't matter when you get on that court, you are there to play and we have some freshmen that are playing that are just great. I couldn't be prouder of them, they are playing awesome."

An ACC title is not out of the question, either. Because there is no ACC tournament this year, UNC will focus on the long regular season rather than a cutthroat end-of-year tournament - where the Tar Heels reached the finals last season before falling to Maryland.

"We have a long road ahead of us, it's 22 ACC matches and this is only the opening home match," Rayfield said.

"So we have a lot of time to go and a lot of time to improve, and work on the things that need to be worked on."

 

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.