The 2018 Triad varsity volleyball team is pictured from left, front row, Jordan Unger, Gabby Feasel, Brianna Eaton, Kristin Bailey and Kendell Hughes; row two, coach Sammy Nawman, Holly Alvoid, Taylor Ruff, Sidney Louck, Gracie Sheets and head coach Dayna Ober.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
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Dayna Ober is back for another season with Triad’s volleyball coach as the Lady Cardinals look to improve upon a season in which they struggled before they even took flight.
Now with a complete off-season to prepare for the new year, Ober hopes to collect a few more wins.
“Last year we started so late, so I feel much more prepared this year with getting more open gyms in and starting earlier,” Ober said. “Having my team just play together, I’m just more comfortable.”
The Lady Cards struggled last year, notching only three wins after Ober was hired a month before the season started. This year, the young coach is looking only at improving as a team.
“My biggest goal is improvement,” she said. “I want to see them improve from practice and improve from game-to-game. I want to see them play with positive attitudes, intensity and to play to the best of their ability every game.
“I would also like a better record than last year,” Ober said with a laugh.
To accomplish those goals, Ober is looking to her core of three seniors on the nine-person roster.
Brianna Eaton will hit and block the middle of the net, while Gabby Feasel will be an outside hitter. Kristin Bailey will help out on both lines.
Ober said the team’s real strength lies in its ability to lead by example.
“They are increditably positive and uplifting to their teammates,” she said. “They all mesh well together and we have a lot of returning players that have at least one year of varsity experience under their belt.
“The three who don’t have varsity experience have stepped up well,” said Ober. “I’m excited to see how the season goes.”
Ober believes that the key to seeing improvement on the court will be the players’ abilities to communicate with each other.
“I would like to hear them more vocal,” she said, “and communicating with each other about what is going on.”
Ober said better communication will help the team finish more games on the winning side.
“We have to finish and be determined,” she said. “We have to want to win and there needs to be drive there. We just have to keep our intensity up from the first point.”
With more time to prepare for this season, the Lady Cardinals now have to see if that time will lead to more improvement under the leadership of a more determined coach.