Oct. 24, 2003

The following are answers from head volleyball coach Bill Walton. He questions were submitted from the Ask the Coach section. Walton will answer your questions, all you have to do is ask.

Question 1

Coach Walton,

I noticed you have a lot of freshman on this years team. How do you approach each game, is it different than in past years? - Jim Anderson, Houston.

Answer

Yes, the freshman and two junior college transfers means our approach to the game is to focus mainly on what we do. The strategies about stopping the opponent are fairly generic. As we get more experience we'll start to tailor our game plans to stopping specific tendencies of our opponents.

Question 2

My daughter plays volleyball for her junior high school and is interested in playing in college, should she be recruited. What kind of advice would you give her now to prepare herself to play at the college level? - Billie, Kingwood, TX.

Answer

1) Play Junior Volleyball from junior high on.

2) In her sophomore year (near the end) send letters expressing interest in schools she might like to attend.

3) Jump high, hit hard and be as tall as you can be. The last part about being as tall as you can be is a bit of a joke, but it helps.

Question 3

You have a lot of freshman and newcomer on this year's squad. What strengths do you think the newcomers bring this year, and next year, after they each have an entire season under their belts, what do you expect will be the teams strength? - Evan, Pearland.

Answer

We will be an average size team with excellent volleyball skills. Over the next few years we will learn to use our skills strategically.