The Lake Norman Charter volleyball team is not just looking to continue doing what works, but to find what works best.
That’s why coach Jeff Moran altered his team’s lineup two weeks ago, the same lineup that had not lost a match. And it’s why the Knights, 14-0 through Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Lincolnton, continue to push themselves toward what could be a bright post-season future.
“You’re always looking to tweak things,” said Moran, LNC’s first-year coach.
The most recent tweaking moved hitters Julie Newell and Katie Fabian from the outside into the middle. It wasn’t that the Knights’ previous lineup wasn’t working. Moran just picked up on something he liked more during a drill one day in practice.
“It looks like the lineup that works best for us,” said Moran.
Fabian, at 5-feet-11, fits the middle hitter mold, but Newell is smaller than most. But her size is deceptive, said Moran.
“She can really put the ball down,” he said.
LNC has quickly adjusted to life in the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference, as one of the eight team league’s four 1A programs. The Knights were 10-0 in the SPC entering Thursday’s match at Cherryville, and only East Lincoln has avoided a 3-0 shutout against the Knights in SPC play. LNC won that match 3-1 and has three 3-1 non-conference victories. The Knights have not yet had to play a five-game match.
And Monday’s 3-1 non-conference win over Charlotte Country Day was one of the most notable of the season, especially from a confidence angle. The Knights lost the first game 25-16, but rallied to win 25-22, 25-12 and 27-25.
“We saw that we have what it takes to do what we need to do,” said Fabian. “We just need to keep ourselves mentally in it.”
The Knights are a tight-knit team. Many of the players have played together for years and know one another’s tendencies. The team has six seniors. Fabian and setter Katie Sevin are captains.
“It’s all about playing for the other five girls you’re on the court with,” said Moran. “We do an
excellent job of that.”
As the season builds toward the state playoffs, which begin Oct. 22, Moran wants his team to focus on a few goals, including continuing to work in practice and staying focused in their rematches with SPC opponents with whom they previously had little trouble.
He’s confident the Knights will perform.
“This group of girls is so on point, so coachable,” he said. “It makes my job a lot easier.”
With a lot of volleyball yet to play, the Knights are trying to keep to the day-to-day tasks while also aiming high.
“This team, we can go far, I think,” said Newell.
