FORT COLLINS — With a top-10 ranking and 17 consecutive wins strung together, one would assume life is pretty good for the Colorado State volleyball program.
That’s true, to an extent. The current run, which also includes a nation-leading 26-match road win streak that will be put on the line the next two weeks, has the Rams in a position for places they want to go. In terms of where they want to end this season, it’s not quite good enough.
At 22-1 overall and 10-0 in Mountain West play, Colorado State not only wants to reach the NCAA Tournament, but advance to the second weekend. To do that, the Rams know they must continue to get better.
“All of that is great and stuff, but that’s not our main end goal,” defensive specialist Cassidy Denny said. “That’s just a great couple of wins and prizes along the way, but really, we want to go to the NCAA Tournament, we want to host and we want to be in the Sweet 16. We want to win.”
For one, Hilbert thinks he’s working with a group that is self-motivated on its own. While they don’t need much of a push, he still supplies one by splitting the squad equally for matches in practice and challenging players with certain goals and strategies. He also pits players against each other for position and prizes, which Denny was very proud to announce she won on Monday.
Those are the practices that really drive the team, and Hilbert said they can be shorter sessions while allowing the team to get more accomplished.
“Right now we’re setting up situations and Kelsey (Snider) got beat by Jaliyah (Bolden), so she’s ticked, so she’s got a little something inside of her burning,” Hilbert said. “(Monday), we had Marlee (Reynolds) doing some things and she turned a corner in some particular creative areas as an attacker, and Dri (Culbert) PR’d in her jump touch, so some good things are happening.”
From the players’ perspective, those sessions are more fun because they are more game-like, and that’s why players play. The intensity rises, and that allows the Rams to improve as a team and individually.
Middle Acacia Andrews said it would be between Culbert and Snider as to who is the most competitive player, but the purpose is served team-wide.
“I think it brings out the best in us and prepares us more for games,” Andrews said. “We’re put into the competitive atmosphere and we have to play hard. The competitive drills are what drives us.”
Colorado State starts the road trip Thursday against a San Diego State team that isn’t having a stellar season (10-10, 5-4), but the Aztecs are athletic and that can cause issues. A Saturday date with UNLV follows, and the Rebels (19-5, 7-2) are a balanced and viable threat with their creativity.
“This is the hardest one, in terms of the combination of matches,” Hilbert said of the trip. “Both of these teams are decent, and Vegas is good. San Diego State is talented, so you just don’t want to wake them up.”
Mike Brohard: 970-635-3633, mbrohard@reporter-herald.com and twitter.com/mbrohard
