By Robb Fenton
With an up and down first half of the season behind them, the Lakeland Rustlers women’s volleyball is looking to make some noise in 2010.
Placed in the North/South Division, the Rustlers have a chance to finish near the top and make a run at provincial.
“It’s been a break for the girls and myself so it’s good to get back in the gym and being in the North/South Division, hopefully we can make it happen, so I’m really excited to see what the girls can do,” Rustlers head coach Taylor Dyer said.
Dyer knows what his team needs to do to be successful in the second half of the season and while it is tough to sweep a weekend in the ACAC, the Rustlers know they just need to play two solid matches every weekend to have a chance to win.
“Our consistency. We really struggled to put two nights together. We would play amazing one night and then the second, not so much, so we’re looking for consistency,” Dyer said. “We want to play the same way on consecutive nights.”
It is no surprise Dyer will rely heavily on the girls who played for the Rustlers last year and are experienced players in the league.
Leaders like Carmen Dubnick, Brianne Collette, Jackie Spark and a handful of more players who have been through the grind before will be key for Lakeland.
“Our veterans. They have been so key for us all year and they are the ones that provide that consistency for us,” Dyer said of a big key for the second half. “Our first year and some second years have come along way since the beginning of the season and that should really show in the second half.”
To start the second half of the season, the Rustlers welcome the Lethbridge College Kodiaks to Lakeland Gym and while they sit 0-10 after first semester, Dyer knows not to look too much into stats.
“You can never overlook a team in this conference. It’s been closer than it ever has this year and some might say the South was a little stronger in the first semester, so we can’t take them lightly, regardless of their record,” Dyer said of the Kodiaks.
While they are in the other division, Dyer knows a little about his team’s first opponent.
“They’ve got some girls that can bang and they can really come after you. They’re gritty and they don’t give up on the ball and play good defence. Stuff like that is what it takes to win,” Dyer explained.
A quick start is something the Rustlers need and want and matching up with the Kodiaks will give them a good chance to start off with a couple of wins.
“I think it’s a great start to match up with them to start, especially them coming to our gym,” Dyer said. “We just want to go through our gameplan, make sure we’re mentally tough and focussed the whole way through both days. We would love to come out with a 2-0 start.
Game time for Friday’s match between the Kodiaks and Rustlers is set for 6 p.m. and Saturday’s match is 1 p.m., both at Lakeland Gym.