The journey to head Fort Calhoun volleyball coach was pretty straight forward.
“There was a need for a coach,” Liz Sevcik said July 13. “We've had kind of a carousel.”
With departures after each of the past two seasons, the Fort Calhoun Youth Sports Organization Volleyball Director and former club coach put her name into the fold in hopes of bringing stability to FCHS.
“Just thought the girls needed some consistency,” Sevcik said. “Somebody who was invested in the community and cared about volleyball. Cared about the team.”
The school opted to bring her onboard.
“That's how I ended up here,” she said.
The Pioneers' new coach led an open gym session last week, prepping the athletes for an Iowa State camp, which starts Wednesday. Sevcik believes consistency is key to preparation.
“But also lots of touches,” she said. “You've got to get lots of touches on the ball to get better.”
The final drill of the open gym showcased that. Every time the ball touched the ground, a coach was quick to enter one back into play without delay.
Understandably, hard work is important to the new coach, too.
“You're going to have plateaus,” Sevcik said. “And there are going to be hard things to work through, but you just keep working at it and grinding. Push through to that next level.”
The coach said several players have put in their summer work at the school and on their club teams, which should help the Pioneers at the Cyclones' camp in Ames. Drills will fill the first full day away from home will before scrimmages take place on day No. 2.
“We'll be seeing different competition by virtue of being over in Iowa,” Sevcik said.
As the camp and the season approaches, excitement for the fall season is building. The Fort Calhoun student-athletes are showing up to team activities in droves and putting in effort.
“That's been the great thing about these girls even though, some of them, they're on their third coach in as many years,” Sevcik said. “They're still working hard. They're still excited.”
The new coach in charge is ready to go, too.
“It's been fun,” she said. “These girls have a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of personality. It's been fun getting to know them.”
