Prep Volleyball Preview: Changing The Culture

Rome wasn't built in a day.

Neither was the Harrisburg volleyball program and no one knows that better than second year head coach Heather Cox.

Coming off a 6-20 season a year ago, Cox is looking to change the culture of the volleyball program and not make it just a contender in the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Ohio Division, but in the deep south all together.

"The potential is there, the athleticism is there, but whether I can get them buy in and make them believe is going to be my biggest task."

There are plenty of other obstacles that Cox wants to overcome. Namely, get out of the bottom of the Ohio Division standings and become a legitimate threat in the conference race.

"In my mind with the potential that we have, we should finish high in the conference race. It's there," Cox added. "Based on what we played last year, especially in conference, I think we will be more competitive. I'm not saying that we'll go out and win it all this year, but I definitely think we'll be far more competitive in the conference and throughout the season as a whole."

Harrisburg brings back four starters, two of which played middle for Cox as freshmen a year ago. Cox also looks to capitalize on a talented in-coming freshmen class that last year won the SIJHSAA championship as eighth graders.

Devin Butler will be one of those freshman that Cox counts on in the early going as Bulter as been named the season starter at libero for Harrisburg.

"She will be our starting libero as a freshman, which is a big task, but she is a talented kid that works hard and I think she'll do a great job at it," Cox said of Butler.

The decision to put Butler at libero gives what Cox feels the best opportunity for her offense to run smoother and quicker.

"A lot of that has to do with the libero so that is where Devin comes into play at," Cox said. "I expect our attitudes to be better and I think I'll get that from this group, but I know in year's past with so many different coaches that we've had some attitudes and issues of that nature, but this group I do not expect that whatsoever. My hope is to finish .500 if not better. I'd love to see us get a win in that first round of regionals and end that drought as well."

In the changing of the culture, it's Cox's hope that this group could be the first to get over .500 and change the drought that Harrisburg has been suffering through for the better part of five years now.

The plan to put that process in motion starts immediately for Cox.

"We've got everything we need, including two 6-foot-plus girls in the middle and that in itself is just a physical advantage and then I have a couple of kids like Hannah Bartok and Raegan Thompson, who are excellent jumpers and will do a great job on the front row as far as blocking and hitting, but we also have some very talented defensive kids, which will make our offense run smoother."

If there is a deficiency for Cox this year, it will be experience or the lack there of.

"I've got two middles that are sophomores that even though they played varsity last year, that's a big task to be in charge of running the net as a young kid and when you throw a freshman in there as your libero, inexperience can come into play.

"There is also just a lack of confidence.We've yet to have a lot of success, so even though there is a lot of physicality there, the kids don't believe it mentally, so that's going to be a huge hurdle for us to overcome."

Harrisburg's season gets underway this weekend at Herrin.

Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register. Follow him on Twitter:

@spydieshooter.