The Colleyville Courier

Two-for-One Summer

By KEVIN LONNQUIST, STAFF WRITER

Amanda Anderson's busy summer appears to be over. Despite the hectic schedule, her athletic involvement was well worth it, she said.

Anderson, 15, went heavy in select sports as she split time between her volleyball and basketball club teams. While the Colleyville Heritage standout gained solid conditioning work, she's thankful for the timeoff. After all, the first day for workouts for the 2006 high school volleyball season starts Monday.

The club volleyball season ended in early July. The basketball season ended two weeks ago, as the sophomore worked a camp run by Colleyville Heritage assistant coach Robin McCoart.

"I was busy and kept a pretty good pace," Anderson said. "But everything I did helped me get ready for the season. I feel really good bout the way I prepared."

Anderson received a crash course in varsity volleyball as a freshman last year, playing middle blocker for the Lady Panthers.

During the club volleyball season, she competed against the top players in the area and around the country. Her team, TAV 15 Advantage, competed in the Junior Olympics tournament last month in Atlanta.

She worked in the middle of the front row, working on her quickness and aggressiveness by attaching the net and going for blocks and kills. Anderson, a 6-foot sophomore, focused on coordination, footwork and seeing the floor better. She is expected to be the Lady Panthers starting middle blocker this season.

"The thinkg that I wanted her to go through is the game experience," Colleyville Heritage volleyball coach Libby Torres said. "What helps is the more competitive situations you go through, the better off you are going to be. And I think that will eventually translate into her being more comfortable and confident on the court."

Anderson averaged about five kills and two blocks per match as she worked her way through the 2005 varsity season. And while those numbers are expected to improve this summer and fall, Anderson is more focused on her passing.

Although most middle blockers are substituted by the libero position during a match, they do have to spend at least one rotation playing defense when they serve. Anderson said she had to be more precise in the way she directed her passes.

Working on her passing required repetition, but it also required a greater awareness of her spacing in the floor in relation to her teammates. The season served as an important year of progress and maturation for Anderson.

Anderson will continue to lead a dual-sport life at Colleyville Heritage. She was on the junior varsity girls basketball team last year.

Despite her talent, it is unlikely she will crack the varsity lineup front court this season with returning stars Porche Torrance and Lindsay Hovland already in place.

For now, she said it has not been a problem balancing the two sports, even with a seasonal overlap. During basketball season, she is also playing club volleyball.

"The practice I have put in on both courts has been exciting," Anderson said. "I want to see how much I can compete at the higher level since I have gained so much experience. I'm looking forward to a big season for us."