Body language and reaching deep

I'm a person who looks at body language. Sport is predicated often on momentum and momentum really affects body language. I've gone to less than a handful of Cochranton volleyball matches this year but I've grown to understand coach Marci Malliard's body language. I know when she is thinking about calling a timeout and I know pretty much when one is coming for sure now.

This is a coach. She puts trust in her athletes, but also knows when they need a breath and a bit of a talking to. 

Tuesday night the Cardinals got off to a slow start, but rebounded. Key timeouts and advantageous miscues by the opponents or purposeful power by one of the hitters often righted the ship. They went on to finish off the scrappy Homer -Center squad in the first set 25-18. It was a much closer set than the score indicated.

The second set Cochranton seemed to find their groove and it began to look like it was going to be an early night. Homer-Center's players went off the court with heads down and they just had no bounce in their step at all. The Cards easily won that one 25-15. 

The third set looked again like it was going to be an early night. Cochranton was cruising, Homer-Center's plays shoulders were drooped. But somewhere around the 18 point mark something changed. Suddenly the Cards shoulders were drooping and Homer-Center had momentum and they came back to win that set 25-23.

The fourth set  was a debacle for Cochranton. Suddenly they couldn't put the ball on the floor at all on the Homer-Center side.

​They fell way behind and never caught-up losing that one 25-14.

It looked like Cochranton's season was over. Homer-Center had momentum and positive body language.

The cards looked defeated and beaten.

Malliard took ever last second of the timeout between sets to reconfigure her game plan and then finally put a team out on the court.

​It wasn't long before her strategy became clear. Feed Sokol! Feed Sokol. Feed Sokol.

The Cardinals put their season on the shoulders (or hard swinging left arm) of Devyn Sokol.

She wasn't alone of course.

After a few powerful kills suddenly the Cardinal's shoulders were up again and they made key digs and passes and even others chimed in on some kills.

It was a thing of beauty to watch. 

Homer-Center gave everything to take down Cochranton, but key coaching and players who stepped up when it was do or die made the difference. 

Cochranton now moves on to the state quarterfinals and will face ​ Bishop Canevin on Saturday at a site and time to be determined. Bishop Canevin took down Oswayo Valley in straight sets.

​View more photos at: https://sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p744202390

Final thoughts: I felt almost like I went back in time. I remember photographing this star setter when she was in high school. Leirin Baker, now Schmader, was one heck of a setter and athlete. She is still as a coach for the school she loves. I enjoyed seeing her work out the team before Tuesday's game remembering photographing her as a player.