Scrimmage Important for Hilbert, Rams

A change was needed.

The day to day of practice without a match on the horizon can get tedious. While Colorado State will scrimmage during volleyball practice, it's still during practice. And with seven freshmen on the roster, what is coming during the season will be foreign territory for them.

So coach Tom Hilbert gave them something new Wednesday night. He told them to put on the jerseys, set a match time for 7 p.m. to mimic the regular season and had his Rams run through the normal pre-match routine at Moby Arena.

There were no fans in the stands, but the energy was different when suited up. Sliding into uniform, no matter the occasion, is special.

"It was really cool," freshman Karina Leber said. "I miss wearing 42."

It was also important for Hilbert and his staff. He needs to replace two All-Mountain West middles, as well as find key pieces in reworking the front and back row. Repetitions in practice will make them better, but the process of putting them under pressure shows so much more.

Splitting the teams in half, even mixing and matching projected starters on each side of the next presented him with some intriguing scenarios and situations throughout the evening. Under that lens, he felt the evening served more of a purpose for the staff.

"We need it more for sure. You can't replicate that kind of situation," Hilbert said. "We really need to play some other people, too, but that was really good for us to see. I thought Kennedy Stanford was good, but I thought the middles were outstanding. They both moved well, they both blocked well and they both hit well. Our serve receive was a little better than I expected.

"It's all very important to get into this environment, this time of the day, everything. I thought it was really good for us."

They kept stats from the match, but even as telling as those numbers can be at times, reaction and emotion can mean just as much. There is a comfort level at practice, even in competitive situations. Replicating a match as much as they could adds a bit more pressure, and how players handle those moments can be more telling than numbers.

As Hilbert pointed out, defensive specialist Ruby Kayser passed maybe 10 balls throughout the match. She will do that in the course of 5 minutes at practice. But the 10 from Wednesday night came under fire.

Deep down, the players knew a lot was at stake, more than a workout and learning routines. It was a first step toward becoming a regular part of them.

Alyssa Bert felt the team put on a quality show, and she was correct in believing Hilbert would walk away impressed.

"I think so. I hope so. I feel like we overall did really well," she said. "I feel like we've really gotten used to playing next to each other in practices, and also we're competing for spots, especially in the back row. We're competing all the time, and on the front row. Half our team is new, so this was good for competitive reasons."

That part was not lost on any of them, even the returners, some of whom are being challenged for court time. But the middles are of particular interest due to the impact the position traditionally holds for the program and the fact quality mainstays are not part of the roster.

For Leber and Naeemah Weathers, it was a chance to be on the front row at all times and show what they do best, learn where they need to improve.

"It was just doing what I do, and getting a new connection with my setter helps me get better," Leber said. "I think I just came out and played. Not a lot of pressure. I was nervous coming in, but there's no one here. It felt a little bit like practice, but more important."

For multiple reasons.

With pandemic restrictions in place, many of the places a team really gets to know each other are eliminated from the equation. The locker room cannot be used as a mixing pot at this moment. Team activities are cut down, and getting to know each other as people is just as important as understanding the player on the court. Seeing them under fire helps tremendously.

Especially if you are players trying to create bonds.

"We're just learning to get used to each other and grow chemistry," Bert said. "I feel like it's hard without getting to use the locker room, without getting to do a lot of team activities. I feel like this stuff is really important for our team to get to know each other and get used to each other, more than just on the court but as friends."

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Alyssa Bert

Ruby Kayser

Karina Leber

Kennedy Stanford

Naeemah Weathers

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