By James Hernandez

Welcome back to another edition of the Coaches Corner. I was able to sit down with CSN head volleyball coach Sue Thurman after her Coyotes went 3-1 this past weekend in the inaugural Coyote Labor Day Classic tournament to talk some Coyote volleyball.

James: How encouraged were you after watching the team go 3-1 over the weekend?  

Coach Thurman: Being competitive and pulling out wins is proof that we are moving in the right direction.

James: What are your expectations for the teams first road trip of the season to Scottsdale?  

Coach Thurman: We will face some tough teams in Arizona.  We are going to focus our attention this week on proper time management – academics, sleep, and proper nutrition.  I believe if we can take care of ourselves that is our first step towards success.

James: Are you surprised by how quickly the team appears to be gelling on the court?

Coach Thurman: I have known for months that we have a great group.  They are working well together; however, we had some miscommunication on the court this weekend, and we hope to clean that up a bit.

James: Last week you talked about wanting to see the team more active around the net, do you feel they stepped up in that area this week? 

Coach Thurman: I felt we were more consistent in our passing location which allowed Christina to distribute the ball well and utilize all of our hitters better.

James: Can you give the readers a breakdown of the teams in this weekend's upcoming tournament?

Coach Thurman: We will open with Scottsdale Friday morning.  Scottsdale (5-1) has a developed program and we will need to be at the top of our game to continue to be competitive.  We will also face Central (1-3), Eastern (3-7), and Chandler Gilbert (1-2). 

James: How is Hannah Karas' thumb, and are there injuries to any other players? 

Coach Thurman: It was swollen and bruised on Saturday; we thought it best to rest her.  She has been icing it, so hopefully she will be ready to play this weekend.

James: What did the team do well this weekend and what areas would you like to see improvement?

Coach Thurman: Statistically we improved our hitting efficiency and blocking.  I did feel that we let more balls hit the floor this weekend than last.  Serving will always be a main focus.

James: After 8 straight home games this team is on the road for almost an entire month. What sort of challenges do you anticipate playing so many consecutive games away from home?

Coach Thurman: We have been fortunate to have a lot of support in the stands and the comforts of our home court.  Traveling brings a lot of unknowns, but I think we are ready to hit the road and continue to strengthen our bonds as a team.

James: Coach thank you for taking some time to talk with us today.

The Coyotes will be in Arizona this weekend to participate in the Scottsdale Volleyball Tournament versus Scottsdale, Central, Eastern and Chandler Gilbert on Friday September 11 and Saturday September 12^th. 

For more information on CSN Volleyball including the upcoming schedule log onto www.csncoyotes.com or follow us on Twitter @CSNCoyotes.