If you had a chance to watch the lady Dinos play volleyball last season then you probably expected to see them kick some ass. Ninety per cent of the time you would not be let down.
Unfortunately, this season the Dinos have been playing with unpredictable results–results uncharacteristic and inconsistent by Calgary standards. Last weekend, the Dinos dropped two matches to the University of Winnipeg, 3-2 and 3-0. This was a huge upset as Calgary slaughtered Winnipeg twice last year. Also, they missed out on capturing four big points.
“We were unprepared in all areas of our game and we were surprised by Winnipeg,” said captain Amanda Moppett. “In the first match it took us till the third set before we got into it, from there we were able to take it to five. We had four chances to take the last game but lost it 16-14. We just weren’t aggressive enough.”
You would think after letting a game slip through their fingers the team would be ready to press hard and take the next one back. But on Saturday it was the same story, only worse. The Dinos dropped three straight sets, losing their second match of the weekend.
“We had a big talk before the game on Saturday, but we still came out with the same style of play,” Moppett outlined. “It’s unfortunate that no one is willing take responsibility for their actions on the court. It’s as if individuals are scared to take the last ball cause they don’t want to let the team down.”
If it is a case of individual confidence, then each player will need to find their own. A team cannot be confident and show dominance on the court if the individuals do not believe in themselves. As Moppett stated;
“We have found what kind of team we are, we just need to find out what kind of players we are.”