Between their game smarts and ability to run the swing offense, I think they can very nearly be unstoppable. I've discovered a couple of major points I need to work on.
Setter decisions and communication: Every play we run, for the most part, offers two options for hitting, and chances are that one of those choices will have one or no blockers there. I've gotta get my setter seeing just before she releases the ball which tempo to take. I think she can make the decision on her own, but if not, maybe I need to get the libero thinking about it.
We need to make better use of our back row outlet. If it gets crowded at the net and the setter gets pulled off, I need to have her put it in the hands of a back row hitter because she has a lot more options.
Speaking of crowding, I have to give the middle and left swing hitter more options because it's just too damn crowded at the middle and just to the left. I've got to start moving the middle behind the setter more often even to put the left swing out at the 3/4 position. Heck, pulling the left hitter all the way out right isn't a half-bad idea either.
What's fun about all of this is that, for the first time since I started coaching, I get to really concentrate on game theory instead of worrying about skills. What a change of pace that is.
The kids are really getting along with each other and me, which is also a big change. On my end I think it's because I very explicitly set my expectations from the start, so there's no mystery regarding what I'm about. With each other, I just think they're all easy going enough to just genuinely like each other.
And how paranoid am I that it's all too good to be true? Well, in my normal refusal to enjoy good things in my life, I had a dream the other night about one of the girls (a faceless girl, no one in particular) where I yelled at her and she hated me and moved out of her dorm (odd since these girls are in high school). I don't know why I can't just cautiously enjoy the situation and continue to monitor it and adapt things to keep it positive.
What a great thing so far though. This could be a big year. The first tournament will be very telling about the team's potential. It might be the hardest of the year aside from bids and qualifiers.