Was over at Macalester and the Leonard Center to take in Tuesday afternoon's practice. Because the volleyball team was using the main gym, the team started off their practice in the Fieldhouse Area which is not a bad place at all by any stretch (would LOVE to play a match on that surface). After the players did the usual stretching/flexing exercises the assistant coaches had the team work on dribbling drills involving going up and down the floor with two balls (tough!).
While all this was going on, I had the pleasure of having a great conversation with Head Coach Ellen Thompson who I feel without question is one of the top coaches in the MIAC. What she has done at Macalester in the time she has been there is nothing short of amazing. She took a program that had been left in shambles and a mere four or five years later had the Scots at the top of the MIAC for a period of time; indeed they have been in the conference playoffs the last two seasons. She may not get the best or most athletic or "gifted" players but she makes the best of what she has and the results speak for themselves. In short, Thompson can flat-out coach - period.
While we were talking, she would from time to time bark out instructions to her players to improve their passing and to communicate better. When the team went into their weave drill, Thompson became quite displeased the the quality (or lack thereof) of the passing by the team and quickly aborted the drill as she then had the team focus of chest passes which is only one indication of the attention to detail she has.
Because this practice started up in the fieldhouse area, Thompson wanted to focus on breakdown work; i.e., focusing on the little things that need improvement. Some of the different drills the team did included:
1. free throws
2. sprints
3. bunny shots off the glass
4. perimeter shooting
5. baseline jump shots (two players on each side; not as easy as it looks)
6. 10-12 foot jumpers
7. more free throws!
Additionally, the team did a 5-person "shell" drill where the focus is on proper movement and setting good screens. There was also some 5-on-5 half court work plus a snappy 4-on-1 drill where the emphasis is on boxing-out and rebounding.
So what is the outlook for the Scots this coming season? The big thing, according to Thompson, is that they've GOT to stay healthy. They simply can't afford to have key players go down with injuries. On that front alone the Scots already have some red crosses. Audrey Mills, who would have been a senior on the squad this year, is out due to concussion issues. Erika Weimann, a sophomore, is out for the moment due to a heart condition but she's hopeful (and so is Thompson) that she'll be back in action in the first part of November. On the plus side, the Rene Sisters - Jessica and Shannon (I have a tough time telling those two apart) - are back for their senior seasons and they will certainly terrorize MIAC opponents from behind the arc as they have done for the past two seasons. Also back is a seasoned Holly Schiedermayer who is definitely more experienced and is primed for a good junior season. Maggie Wood is also back for her senior year and has the ability to make things happen. The other item that Thompson mentioned is that she's got to have one of her freshmen or sophomores to step up to take the place of Mills in the line-up. I'm not sure but my best guess is that sophomore Carmen Whitehead may fall into that spot. Whether the Scots can make another conference playoff run is tough to guess at the moment. The void left with Majra Mucic's graduation and Mills absence may be too much to overcome for this squad. Then again, I learned last year that you can never count this team out when they made a late run to get in. They will certainly be dangerous and with a coach like Thompson leading the way they will always be competitive.
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