Marble Falls summer volleyball league accomplishes its goals
CAPTION: Kate Dykes and several of her Lady Mustang teammates use the last two months to improve their volleyball skills all in an effort to be ready for the 2023 season. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
On the final night of the Marble Falls June League June 28, Marble Falls High School volleyball coach Kait Goertz was found doing what she does most Wednesday nights at Marble Falls Middle School.
She split her time between the two gyms where she observed play from the varsity, junior varsity and freshman contests. She answered questions from coaches from neighboring schools and was accessible to her staff. She talked with fans in between matches.
And while it didn’t seem out of the ordinary, what Goertz has done is truly extraordinary for area volleyball players. She organized back-to-back leagues in May and June to give programs that include Burnet, Faith Academy, Johnson City, Lampasas and Llano a few hours of court time so their athletes can get live reps and compete while they coached themselves. This is the third year she directed the multi-week leagues.
“It’s for all of us,” Goertz said as she leaned against a wall and observed Lampasas and Llano. “We don’t have anything local. It’s the opportunity to get out, get a ball in their hands, and compete. It’s huge. I wouldn’t have done it if it didn’t benefit our kids. This is something the area needed. It’s a great affordable way for our kids to get out and play other sports.”
The league helped in countless ways.
While the obvious is that it allowed athletes to play and coaches to only watch since University Interscholastic League rules prohibit coaching during the summer, it also helped new coaches observe their new players and introduce themselves. And every head coach was able to see their incoming freshmen and talk to them.
The league was especially beneficial for the freshmen. Because of how the UIL creates the calendar, coaches evaluate players during the first week of two-a-days and select their varsity players at the end of the week for the official start of the season soon after.
“I’m trying to learn their names and evaluate within two days,” Goertz said of the freshmen. “The freshmen who are out here (playing in the league), I can see them play.”
She smiled as she thought of the number of Marble Falls freshmen played during the last several weeks. As many as 12 were on the team, which allowed a solid rotation.
“That’s awesome,” the coach said. “I absolutely it. Having our freshmen playing is huge. Our freshmen are getting used to it. You’re in the program, and I want you to be around us.”
Goertz noted that many players may not have played volleyball since their 2022 seasons ended, which for most was in early November. So she was especially curious to see what her veterans remembered and how they executed it. She was happy with what she saw.
“It’s stuff we worked on in the offseason, and the carryover is huge,” she said. “(The league) gave us the opportunity to see what we carried over. It’s fun to get to watch, to see what they picked up in the offseason and getting to be able to see them before July 31 (the first day of two-a-days). I’m returning a majority of my (2022) team. It’s amazing to have that kind of experience coming back.”
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