Rams Building Piece by Piece

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Piece by piece.

Some of it is skill. Mix in concepts and fortitude. Growth and maturity matter, because the end game is to not only be good, but be consistently good.

For the remainder of the season, this is the end game for coach Tom Hilbert and his Colorado State volleyball program.

"Yes, and we have to. We have to get better as a blocking team. Blocking sets up the defense," Hilbert said. "Statistically, this is the least productive we've been blocking since I've been here. We have so many areas we need to improve upon. When I keep moving people around in positions, that makes it hard for them to get locked in to maybe how to block really well."

Which has made this season a hard line for Hilbert – and his team – to walk.

He wants consistency, but he needs it from his best lineup. To get there, he has to see what certain players can do, which leads to lineup shuffling. Some of it has been his doing, to see combinations. Sometimes, like last weekend's split at San Jose State, it's forced upon them due to injury.

The players understand what is taking place. Jacqi Van Liefde has been a prime example, moving in and out of the starting lineup and doing so at both pins.

She doesn't see it as a start-and-stop process, but one which encourages growth.

"I do think it helps more than it hurts. I almost feel like it helps me to get out of a rut if I'm in a rut on the left side," the sophomore said. "If I am, hey, throw me on the right side and I'll get some kills and I'll regain my confidence, then throw me back on the left side and I'm good again. I do think it helps. I like to be able to play from a different perspective and help any way I can.

"Either way, I end up playing on both pins at either position. I need to be strong on the right and I need to be strong on the left. Ultimately putting me where I'm going to be the most affective is what's going to be the best for all of us."

She admits it can be frustrating at times. It is for Hilbert, too.

He wants consistency, but he needs a young roster to develop, with the truest tests coming in match play. He also said he needs to stop expecting perfection in those matches, because this team is too young for those demands.

So he looks for the bright spots. Kennedy Stanford, who has seen more regular time, blossomed with a pair of double-digit kill performances on the road, 29 in total. She had 27 on the season entering the weekend.

They all do, because they have to in a season where bit by bit will add up eventually, even if it is not this season. At 5-5, continuing the run of Mountain West championships is pretty much out of the question with just five matches remaining, starting with Saturday's pairing with Fresno State at Moby Arena.

"I do think there are areas we're getting better in. What our record is doesn't even matter anymore," he said. "It's going to be very difficult for us to win the conference, but we can certainly try to win match to match and improve as a team, which is what we have to do in order to help us for the future."

Van Liefde is all in for the plan. She can see it, too. It may not be big, really noticeable improvements every week, but they are there.

For one, she thinks the team is getting better at adapting to sudden changes in matches. When starting setter Ciera Zimmerman was injured on Friday night, Barrett Power came in to replace her. No, it wasn't the same, but the Rams were not only able to close out the sweep the first night, but pushed through a five-set loss the second.

New situations are good for this team. So is carry over.

"I think that's exactly what it is. Identifying each new game what it is we did well and how we can build on that in practice," she said. "And then the next time a match comes up, seeing if what we put into practice worked out. It's all just building into a stronger fall when we start up again next year.

"I do think we are getting better at that. At the end of the day, we all just need to be able to play volleyball. Like, volleyball is volleyball, and a good team is versatile and can adjust to things like this. That's what we're learning to do is just be able to adjust on the spot and remember we know how to play volleyball and to just stick to the basics – communicate and focus – and that's what's going to lead to success, no matter what's being switched around."

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Barrett Power

Ciera Pritchard

Kennedy Stanford

Jacqi Van Liefde

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