Marble Falls volleyball has the pieces for a great 2023

High school gyms across the state of Texas will be unlocked Monday, July 31, so volleyball players can make their way to locker rooms and the court to get ready for the 2023 season.

Max Copeland Gym on the Marble Falls High School campus will welcome players at 7:30 a.m., head coach Kait Goertz said, on the heels of finishing the teen camp last week where 40 Lady Mustangs in grades 9-12 attended.

“I’m super excited about what I’m seeing,” she said. “The confidence going out and doing what they know. The younger ones are not afraid of being challenged.”

That’s one reason for Goertz’s excitement. Another is the implementation of an accountability program this year designed to help the Lady Mustangs deepen their bonds on and off the court. As a result, Goertz is seeing the shift coaches wanted.

“I’m excited to see those girls go out there,” she said. “They got together for three hours each day, putting in the work. They were doing beach volleyball and practice training into Austin, just like they did for club practices. They’re not out here (at Marble Falls High) for strength and conditioning. They were out getting volleyball skills and activities.”

All of that illustrates an important element coaches hope will lead to greater results.

“The hunger to go out there and be successful this year,” Goertz said. “They’ve got hunger because we did not finish like we should have.”

A quartet of Lady Mustangs will be counted on to lead the way: seniors Sadie Harris, an outside hitter, Ava Carter, a setter, and Leah Nash, a defensive specialist, and junior Mia Trejo, an outside hitter.

“Sadie has been the core of our program for years,” Goertz said. “This summer was hard. She worked out at camp. She said, ‘I was more rusty.’ But when she walked into the gym, she didn’t miss a beat. And she’s only going to get better. I think she’ll have an incredible senior year.”

What has especially shined is the chemistry between Harris and Carter, a second team all-District 24-4A selection in 2022, Goertz said. The two players’ timing and ball placement put a lot of smiles on the faces of many in the gym during camp, the coach added, and she believes that will lead to many wonderful events this season.

“I’m so excited to watch her and Sadie work on chemistry,” Goertz said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. Your outside hitter is obviously your go-to when you’re in trouble or in the big moments.”

Trejo, who also was a second team all-district selection, will force defenses to account for her, the coach added, pointing out the junior knows what to do when the ball goes to her.

“We’re excited to be returning all three,” Goertz said.

Nash, who is third-year letterman, has been working on her game and looks poised to make it rough for opponents to score.

“She looks great, I’m so excited about how she’s playing,” the coach said. “We’re going to have competition for libero. We look for her leadership and experience to help lead our defense.”

Goertz is more than optimistic about this season because of the talent, the experience and the hunger. At the same time, she noted, the coaches can only do so much. The players also must do their parts.

“Everything is there,” she said. “As a staff, we can want it all we want. None of that matters. It’s whether the girls want it — that’s the most important thing.”

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