- November 5, 2024
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The girls on the Flagler Palm Coast volleyball team have a jam-packed schedule next week, and that's not even counting the three games they'll play.
The Lady Bulldogs will go zip-lining and also catch a game at Bethune-Cookman University, an NCAA Division I program and FPC coach Shakirah Cousins' alma mater.
“It’s a team bonding opportunity,” Cousins said Thursday, a day after her team swept crosstown Matanzas in three straight games. “We will walk the campus, go to my favorite wing spot — Bethune Grill — and we will see a Division I program in action.”
There’s a lot of season left, but right now, the team is on a roll, having won three straight, including two District 1-8A games against Mandarin and First Coast.
“(The players) have finally figured out what works,” Cousins said, specifically mentioning that her team is closing games and fighting to the end.
FPC did just that on Wednesday against a gritty Matanzas team, winning the first game, 25-17, and never looking back. In Game 3, Monica Dorman’s serve and Olga Nushtayeva’s net presence were simply too much for Matanzas.
FPC setter Sydney Schake continued to get the ball to Nushtayeva, who finished with 17 kills.
Cousins admits her team still has work to do. The Lady Bulldogs are sometimes too quiet. “There were some key moments when we made silly mistakes and need to communicate more,” she said.
For Matanzas coach Julie Menendez, it was yet another learning experience.
“It was not the outcome we wanted, and we always go into every game with the goal to win,” she said.
Matanzas clawed back in Game 1 before falling short. The Lady Pirates held a lead through the early part of Game 2, but FPC’s offense was too much. Still, many Lady Pirates — including Menendez — had smiles on their faces throughout the game.
“We really want to win, and this is an important part of our program, but so is loving the game,” she said. “And this is what our team is doing.”
Before the season, Cousins said defense wins championships — even in volleyball. She wants to see her team’s defense continue to improve. Sometimes players get too stuck on a spot on the court and can’t take the extra step.
“Our defense has been excellent, but we still have things to work on,” she said. “In volleyball, the object is to hit the ball where you are not, so diving and keeping the ball in play (are important). We have been very scrappy and not giving up on balls.”
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