New Tigers bring energy and competition to the court

By ALAYNA CARSON

Tiger Media Network

For Fort Hays State volleyball’s newest players, the transition from high school to college has brought nerves, excitement, and a faster pace of play. At the same time, the freshmen have brought energy and competition to a Tigers team looking to build chemistry early in the season.

Right-side hitter Regan Widener, setter Sophie Sander, and libero Jaden Goldberg are some of the six freshmen joining FHSU volleyball this season. They join Hannah Schade, Madison Crowe, and Sofia Ricci as freshmen on the team. The newcomers were asked to identify one of the biggest differences between high school and college volleyball.

“Probably the speed of the game; it’s just faster,” Widener said.

Sander also pointed to the pace of college volleyball as one of the biggest adjustments.

“The tempo, for sure,” Sander said.

While the speed has required an adjustment, the freshmen entered their first collegiate games with support from the returning players.

Widener said she felt nervous before her first collegiate game but knew the older players would support her.

“I was pretty nervous, but I knew that they were all going to back us up,” Widener said.

Sander said she felt both excitement and support as she entered the season.

“I was excited, and I felt very supported,” Sander said.

Goldberg also described the experience as a combination of nerves and excitement.

The freshmen have also found support from the coaching staff as they adjust to the college level.

“Our coach is also very supportive and tells us what we need to work on, which is something that I really like,” Goldberg said.

While the newcomers are adjusting to the faster pace of college volleyball, their presence has also affected the returning players.

Senior middle blocker Ashlyn Reeves said the freshmen have brought a different level of energy to the team.

“They brought a lot of fun energy,” Reeves said. “They work super hard, and they honestly push us every day, like us upperclassmen, every day at practice to compete for spots.”

That competition has created an environment in which returning players are also being challenged by newcomers.

When asked to describe the new players as a group in one word, Reeves chose one word: “Energetic.”

The freshmen have already begun contributing during the opening weekend of the season. In FHSU’s four-set victory over Truman State, Sander recorded 13 assists, while Widener added a kill and a block.

For the freshmen, the first games have brought the expected nerves of starting a college career, but the support from their teammates and coaching staff has helped them begin finding their place on the team.