March 15, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. – While most students spent the first week of March preparing for various spring break trips, the South Carolina volleyball team started their practice work during the spring as the squad looks to its fall season.

GamecocksOnline.com chatted with a pair of the rising seniors for the Gamecocks after just their second day of practice, and Jordan Bradosky and Hannah Lawing both remarked about the good environment on the team both in the gym and away from it this spring.

“We’re definitely meshing a lot better,” said Lawing. “I don’t know what it is about this year. It just feels good. It’s like a new slate. It’s a really good environment to be in. We’re all happy.”

Bradosky added, “As a team, we’ve been hanging out a lot more. We’ve been jelling as a team even off the court. We’ve been all talking to each other and understand where each other’s coming from because we’ve been together for a few years now.”

And the focus of practice has shifted back to more technique work than last season, when the squad returned its entire starting rotation. With four starters now gone, the coaching staff felt it necessary to go back to basics a bit.

“We’ve all been working pretty hard in the gym, busting our butt to play hard and be aggressive in everything we do,” commented Bradosky. “We’ve been working a lot on technique, which is very good for our team. We need to take a few steps back and focus on taking one step at a time to improve.”

“After last season, it’s a whole new process starting over,” remarked Lawing. “I feel a much more structured environment, but it’s a lot more lighthearted with as much as we have to get done and get to work. It’s still a fun environment. We’re getting stronger and getting our technique down at the same time.”

The Gamecocks have a few spring scrimmage dates set for the road this spring, while they wrap up the schedule on April 17 when they defend their title at the SEC Coaches Beach Volleyball Championship as part of the Fiesta at Siesta Key.