Coach Dave Plypick said the volleyball team is younger this year. He’s looking for an on-the-floor leader to replace Shannon McGowan, who graduated last year.

Last year he had a squad of five seniors, one junior and four freshmen. He won coach of the year in the league with that team, which went to district competition. He coached at Foster High School from 1989 to 2001, and was coach

of the year there twice.

Last Friday, the players were practicing serving.

“They need to learn to keep the ball in play on serves,” he said. Plypick is very focused on teaching his players discipline and attention to detail. His goal this year, he said, is to get the players doing everything they can to win. He said the team also needs to work on passing, and that is one of the drills they did last Friday afternoon at practice.

It’s a rebuilding year, he said, but that doesn’t mean the team can’t do well. He has had “rebuilding teams” that have turned out to be quite successful, he said.

One of his team members said to him last year, “I’ve known you a while. One way or another you’ll get it done. You always will.”

Margaret Gritten, senior player, says what she does best is hit.

“We have some new players and some returners,” she said. “It could be up and down this year, but everybody is really working hard. We started practice on Aug. 25, and I have faith in what Dave does. He can motivate a team. Last year we got to second seed in the district.”

Coach Dave Plypick said the volleyball team is younger this year. He’s looking for an on-the-floor leader to replace Shannon McGowan, who graduated last year.

Last year he had a squad of five seniors, one junior and four freshmen. He won coach of the year in the league with that team, which went to district competition. He coached at Foster High School from 1989 to 2001, and was coach

of the year there twice.

Last Friday, the players were practicing serving.

“They need to learn to keep the ball in play on serves,” he said. Plypick is very focused on teaching his players discipline and attention to detail. His goal this year, he said, is to get the players doing everything they can to win. He said the team also needs to work on passing, and that is one of the drills they did last Friday afternoon at practice.

It’s a rebuilding year, he said, but that doesn’t mean the team can’t do well. He has had “rebuilding teams” that have turned out to be quite successful, he said.

One of his team members said to him last year, “I’ve known you a while. One way or another you’ll get it done. You always will.”

Margaret Gritten, senior player, says what she does best is hit.

“We have some new players and some returners,” she said. “It could be up and down this year, but everybody is really working hard. We started practice on Aug. 25, and I have faith in what Dave does. He can motivate a team. Last year we got to second seed in the district.”