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A new era for volleyball

Change would be the best word to describe the 2012 Wright State volleyball team.

Under new Head Coach Susan Clements, the Raiders have a different attitude and outlook with refined team goals. Setter Ashleigh Lucco (Sr.) played her first three years for previous Head Coach Trina Smith and has already noticed a change.

“With the switch of head coaches, there has been nothing but hard work and positive outcomes,” Lucco said. “The team is much more unified this year than it has been in the past. That is a big reason why this year’s team has already been accomplishing the goals we set before each match.”

In practice, emphasis is placed on limiting free points for opponents and developing team chemistry.

“We mainly have been focusing on making less errors and finding better shots and selections in certain situations,” Lucco said. “We’ve also focused on connections between myself and the hitters as well as the connection I have with the defensive players.”

Connections are crucial during a game for the setter, who sets up every spike for the offensive attack. But it’s the way the coaching staff connects with the players that impacts Lucco most.

“I respond well to how the coaches interact with me and I know my teammates do as well,” Lucco said. “I believe that it shows on the court.”

WSU finished last year with a 6-23 record and hasn’t had a winning season since a 16-15 campaign in 2003. It’s been four seasons since the Raiders had a winning conference record. As a result, Clements is focused on changing the program’s mentality this season.

“Our goals as a team this upcoming season are to bring change to the WSU volleyball program,” Lucco said. “We have been making great improvements on and off the court in order to accomplish this. We plan on being a team in the Horizon League tournament and with the new atmosphere it is an attainable goal.”

While reaching the conference tournament is the major goal of every Horizon League team, Lucco pointed out how the new coaching staff put a focus on the classroom as well. After all, it’s easy to forget they are student athletes.

“The schedule is different,” Lucco said. “It will be nice having our games mainly on the weekends because it gives us a better chance to succeed in the classroom.”

Highlights of the schedule include home matches with former conference foe Butler (Sep. 11), Chicago State (Sep. 18) and reigning Horizon League champion Milwaukee (Nov. 10).

Change often doesn’t happen overnight, but Clements and seniors like Lucco are laying the foundation for a new era of WSU volleyball.

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