Falcons Samantha Comer, Kiley Kalina, and Lucy Smith Look To Orchestrate Turn Around.
It has been an interesting time thus far with Notre Dame College volleyball for junior outside hitter Samantha Comer. She talked about getting recruited by NDC:
"In my process of looking for schools, I was recruited to multiple NCAA track teams, I received a lot more recruiting surrounding track and field, however I have more love for volleyball. I sent out emails too many schools which was different since more track coaches were reaching out to me. Eventually, I told myself I'd try one recruiting camp with a lot of girls and a lot of different schools. This is where I was introduced to (current Fairmont State volleyball coach and former NDC head coach Travis Hinkle) by another coach who was at Black Swamp Volleyball Club in Tiffin where I played J/O. From there I scheduled a visit and committed not long after, "Comer mentioned.
Then she talked about the team:
"On my recruiting visit I never met the team, but I liked the way Travis talked about the program and how he talked about the girls, it sounded like a home away from home. Ultimately there were more factors in the decision, but I knew I liked a smaller school for more one on one experience with professors."
Then she talked about the injury that she suffered two seasons ago:
"Two years ago, I dislocated my left ankle during a practice in the middle of the season. We were practicing a skill that required you to approach the ball very tight to the net where you took the ball off the blocker's hands. To make a demonstration we utilize boxes that girls will stand on to mock a real blocker. The most important part of this was to get my feet to the ball, which I didn't do and ended up landing my foot inside the box cleanly dislocating my ankle in Keller Gym. I have since learned from that to get my feet to the ball and I still struggle to this day with those balls that are tight especially in practice when the box is there, but (head) Coach K (Erica Kostalec) teaches footwork to make sure it is avoided. Doing it enough times with Coach K telling me where my feet should start and land builds my confidence. With that, I look forward to utilizing the skills and IQ that Coach K has to offer. Being a psychology major, it is important how you talk to your players while instructing. A lot of our team including myself takes in information and transfers that into game play better when it is explained and practiced in a way that uses positive reinforcement with coach corrections and some self-corrections. All three of our coaches (Kostlaec, Assistant Coach Nicole Clark, and Graduate Assistant Kathleen Egan) provided that to us but also hold us accountable when we aren't playing up to what they know we can. I'm excited to get a better record on the board this year with the new coaches and new opportunities we now have with what they bring to the table."
Then she talked about meeting junior libero Kiley Kalina and junior defensive specialist Lucy Smith:
"I first met Kiley (Kalina) at a kid's camp in the summer before our move-in. I recognized Kiley from J/O but had never talked to her before. She's a very easygoing person, so a conversation was never a problem. We talked a lot when we first met, and we still talk a lot now whether it's volleyball or just life. Meeting Lucy at our orientation in the summer, I didn't have a roommate due my late commitment to the team. Lucy and I were walking in front of and behind each other all day, yet we never knew we were on the same team. Travis ran into us during our orientation and and introduced us, it was almost comical that we were oblivious. However, in our favor, Lucy also committed late and was without a roommate where we decided after only knowing each other for 10 minutes we would be roommates."
Smith talked about meeting Comer and Kalina:
"The first time that I met Samantha was at orientation before we began our first semester here at NDC. We didn't even recognize each other as teammates until our coach came over and introduced us to each other. Since we were the last people to commit on the team, we were the only two left without roommates, so we ended up rooming together. I remember us getting along well at the orientation, both of our moms, were there, and they get along great too. We were just good friends from the start. I had met Kiley at an open gym over the summer prior to moving in, but I don't really remember talking much to her until we were all on campus. I have always been good friends with both Samantha and Kiley and they are both people that I have always known that I can count on and confide in."
Then Kalina talked meeting them both:
"When I met Sam and Lucy, I knew we would be great friends. Sam has such an outgoing personality and is super funny. She can make me laugh no matter what the situation is. Lucy is the person who I can rely on in any given situation. Sam and Lucy are the type of people who are always there for you. I can go to them for advice or just for someone to simply listen to me. I remember the first day of preseason our first year, both stood out to me on and off the court. They are truly people you want to be around."
Smith then talked about the coaches:
"Playing for coaches Kostalec, Clark, and Egan has been a beneficial change for our program. Practices are fun, yet we are still learning. They are intense, but also relaxed. I think that in the short time they have been our coaching staff we have gotten a lot better as a team, and this trend will continue throughout the next seasons."
Comer talked about a lesson she has learned from her coaches:
"One thing that I learned from my coaches is that it is ok to not be the best at something if you're exaggerating that you're trying the skill and giving 100 percent effort when transferring into play, it's a marathon, not a sprint. My professors teach me everyday that my emotions and reactions can be broken down to figure out specific problems that may cause me and others to react a certain way. This helps my emotional self-awareness and how I react to others emotions on and off the court."
Then she talked about the joys of being a Falcon:
"The best part of this whole thing is the relationships I've built and the ones I will build within the next two years. Winning of course is ideal, but Coach K has told our team a couple times that you're not always going to remember how you played or how many games you won, but you will always remember how you were treated. That sentence alone makes me aware of how others treat me and how I treat others, and it makes me mindful of those who will be continuing in this program because I want to lead by example."
Kalina then added these thoughts about the coaching staff:
"Playing for Coach K has really opened my eyes. Coming to college, I always thought there was more to learn but not a lot. Coach K has shown me that there is always new stuff to learn. Coach K has inspired me to be better and work for what I want, nothing is handed to you. Coach Clark has been such a great support for us as players. She has taken the role of assistant coach and filled the shoes well. She always shows that she cares about us physically and mentally. She has not been here for long, but she has had such an impact already. Coach Egan has been with me since the spring of my first year. She has seen all the difficulties the program has had. She never once gave up on us and that is something special about her. She knows the game, especially within the setting aspect of it. Her knowledge of setting has helped me improve so much. Overall, I really do enjoy the coaching staff and they have all had an impact on me as a player in a unique way."
Smith agreed:
"It has been extremely difficult with all the coaching changes. Each season, from fall to spring, we have had some type of switch within the coaching. That has been mentally hard because you never know what to expect for each season. Having a stable coach, like Coach K, it has been an easier adjustment moving back this fall because we know what to expect from her since spring. I have hope that she will stay and make this program the way it should be. I feel as if finally, each player is on the same page and knows what the expectations are. I am excited to see where this program goes in the next two years."
Smith then talked Comer's resiliency:
"If there was a word to describe Samantha, resilient would be one of them. She has dealt with a lot of adversity, and always pushes through and comes out the other side better than she went in. Her ankle injury was definitely something that set her back a lot, but she worked through the rehab like she was supposed to and she chose to look at it as a lesson instead of a setback. She came back stronger than she was before and with more drive. She understands what it is like to lose something in just a second of time, so she knows that it's a privilege to be able to do what she does, and she does not take that for granted."
Kalina agreed:
"Sam is a different breed. When the situation happened with her ankle and she got cleared, you would have never known she was hurt. Sam's bounce back from her injury, I think, really made her into the player she is today. She values being on the court and really appreciates sports and the opportunity to play them. Her mental state is extremely sound, she understands that there are days when you are struggling but she never lets you think you are not good enough. Sam is an extraordinarily strong leader and that makes her incredibly special."
Then Smith added this:
:Something about Samantha that the world may not know is that she runs track also. NDC just got a track team this year, (re-adding it after dropping the sport after the 2017-18 season) so she is finally able to run again for the first time since high school. She had an unfortunate fall in the state race during her senior year of high school, so she is looking to get back into it again and have some fun."
Then she talked about the coaches:
"It has been tough going through all the coaching changes since I've been here. Since I came in as a freshman, we have had a handful of coaches. This has been difficult because every style of coaching is different, and we have constantly had to change the way we learn because of the different ways of coaching. It has taught me, however, to be very open to new things and to buy in to whatever coach is telling me to do. I have learned something different from every coach I have ever played under, and I am a better player because of it."
Then Kalina gave some thoughts:
"I have learned to be disciplined and that good things take time. Coming to NDC I was a biology major to one day go to veterinary school. I realized it was not for me and decided to take up nursing. I am currently in my second year of nursing school. The amount of support I have received from my professors and coaches has been incredible. They never once doubted my decision and have shown me that it will be demanding work. This goes back to Coach K who stated that good things require challenging work. I feel like that saying translates into the classroom for me as well. I feel as if I am a part of a family here at NDC within my professors and coaches, they all want us to succeed."
Comer talked about her two teammates:
"Kiley and Lucy are the type of teammates every player and friend needs. I have two people who will be completely honest with my performance when asked for feedback. They know they can talk to me on the court, and I can reassure them of court coverage, plays, and opponent tendencies. Some players get into their heads, and it is easy to tell when one of those six players on the court is not confident, but Lucy and Kiley gave me that confidence within practices and games. Especially since their positions are right behind me, I can hear them communicating to me more closely than anyone on the court which is what makes the connection so much more important on the court. Off the court, I have had multiple occasions where we just sit and talk about the program and how happy we are with the direction it is going being here for three years. We talk about life and our families for hours, it is impossible to stop talking once we start."
Smith concurred:
"Samantha and Kiley are both great teammates on and off the court because of the way that they process things. Kiley and I play the same position, so we spend most of our practice time together taking about the drills and what we need to do to play our best. Off the court, we have a trusting relationship where we both know that the other will be there if we need anything. Samatha has a unique way of processing information and I have learned a lot through being her teammate and living with her. We have a relationship full of honesty, she is one of the only people I have a friendship with where we are not afraid to tell the other if they are wrong or if they could be looking at something differently. This is something that makes our friendship differ from the rest, I think, because we can talk about pretty much anything and we get the most accurate conclusion or reasoning due to us just agreeing with each other."
Kalina then talked about her teammates as well:
"It is such an incredible thing to have teammates like Sam and Lucy. As stated before, they are the girls I rely on the most for support. Lucy is my go to person for advice on the court. We play the same position, and she offers valuable feedback. Sam is the person that will always be straight up with me. If I am messing up, she will let me know. I really do appreciate them as teammates because they make me a better person on and off the court. They are so fun to play with, I always feel so relaxed when they are on the court with me because I know they support me 100 percent."
Then Comer talked one of her role models:
"A volleyball player I look up to now would be Bella Bergmark who plays volleyball for the University of Texas. She trains hard on the court and in the weight room but makes her life a priority. I know sometimes it''s hard to balance the athletic part with being a full-time student, but she knows her escape and she is doing things to fuel her spirit. That keeps her motivated. The more obvious answer is that she is an amazing volleyball player, but I value the mentality she has building my motivations."
Then she told me about a misperception:
"The biggest misperception about college sports is how personable people are within their teams and schools. Being a smaller school may be a difference, but I thought even though it was smaller, I would still be a face in the crowd. However, to most people within the athletic department and professors, over the years you are a familiar face with a name instead of a number."
Then she talked about the positive environment for home games:
"With the positive environment at home games comes the chants and sideline cheers we have for every specific play and point we gain. We try and come up with a couple of new ones to make the team difference every year, we keep some classic cheers for the sole reason of motivating the court from the sidelines. Some cheers just fill space and others hype up the court plus the stands. The energy is more fun to play with and makes watching even better for spectators."
Then Comer was talked about by Kalina:
"Having Sam as an outside is definitely a relief, I trust her that she will close the block and protect me from being blown up every time. She is a very smart hitter and knows when the shots are open. After Sam gets her kill, it is so much fun being right behind her to support her and be cheering for her. Her facial expression really helps make the game less stressful and knowing that she is a reliable hitter makes the court less tense. She makes my job as the libero so much easier because I know she is a great hitter and a great defender. I am looking forward to this season because of this team all being on the same page. We all want to be successful this year and believe we have the right support system, so we need to use it. I am looking forward to learning more from Coach K and being a leader for this team."
Smith talked energy:
The energy on or team is something that makes us different from the other teams that we play. We are known for our cheers on the sidelines, and for our hype energy all the time. The bench and the student section feed off each to keep the energy up. This makes home games a lot of fun because it's never like we are quiet and just standing there."
Kalina agreed:
"The thrill I get when we have a home game is unexplainable. I feel so anxious to get out of the locker room and start the game. The feeling of having everyone support me from my coaches, professors, family, and friends is such a powerful thing to have. The sidelines are the best part, everyone is engaged in the game and cheering for the people on the court."
Smith then talked chemistry and the new season:
"This team has always had good chemistry. Because of the constant change in the coaching and the routines, the team is one thing that has stayed the same and gone through it all. We are a very close team, closer than the others that I have seen and heard about. This makes it enjoyable to play on the court because we have good chemistry with each other. I am always excited for a new season and new freshman coming in. Each person on the team brings something different to the table and I am always looking forward to learning from them and getting to know them, welcoming them into our program."
Comer, Kalina, Smith, and the rest of the Falcons will be back in action tomorrow (Tuesday October 10th) when they host Salem University. First serve is set for 7 PM from Murphy Gym.
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