DCVI Senior Girls Volleyball team score back-to-back wins

By Spencer Seymour

The St. Marys DCVI Senior Girls Volleyball team won a pair of home games on Jan. 13.

Head coach Steve Chateauvert praised the team’s “aggressiveness” in both of their straight-set victories.

“They played really well (in our first game),” said Chateauvert. “We’ve been working a lot in practice on just going for every ball you can and diving and hitting the floor, and there were a few really good instances in that match where it helped us and we got the point because of it. I think they did just as well (in the second game). They had some good digs and good hits. They’re doing the right things, even if it’s not always perfect. If they continue to do the right thing, those balls will be more and more playable.”

That aggressiveness, according to Chateauvert, is a key to the team finding success in the post-season.

“It’s going to be really important, just having that attitude where you don’t let anything hit the floor without some kind of an effort. I think if we continue to do that against better teams, it’s only going to help you in the long run, and I think today was a good step in the right direction.

“I think it is the kind of thing where, once you get started, everyone else buys in,” he continued. “It’s the same with communication and talking and showing some energy, and it takes a couple of players to really get the ball rolling, and then the whole team just follows.”

The Salukis defeated F.E. Madill 25-8 and 25-10 in their first game of the day. They followed that up later in the day by defeating South Huron by scores of 25-19 and 25-18.

Chateauvert noted the team has recently found a groove with the deployment of their two primary leaders on the court, Marin Cheatuvert and Katie Namink, which contributed to their consistent success throughout the two games.

“We’ve got Marin and Katie setting when they’re in the back row, and they’re hitting on the left side when they’re in the front row. They both have great hands, so they can set the ball to all three positions in the front row, and they’re both great hitters, so I think it’s the best of both points out there. They’re both just so experienced, and they can both really take charge out there, and I think it just gives everyone on the court just a little bit of confidence knowing that they’re going to be there to help out when needed,” Steve Chateauvert said.

The head coach also noted several other players who turned in especially strong efforts against F.E. Madill and South Huron.

“We saw some really good things from Courtney (Linton) out there today in terms of her attack,” Steve Chateauvert said. “Charlotte (Richardson) was hitting the ball well. Libby (McCurdy) played a great game. We did a great job being aggressive. We just need to continue to stay aggressive, and it’s not just hitting. You can play aggressively on defence as well, and I saw that out there today, so that was great.”

With the season over halfway complete, Steve Chateauvert mentioned the progression in the team’s ability to battle and keep balls in play.

“Their effort level and their willingness to go for every single ball and every single play have gotten a lot better. At the start of the year, we talked about being ready on defence and not hesitating in calling the ball, and they’re doing a much better job of those core things that we talked about at the start of the year.”