A long regular season hasn’t diminished any of the enthusiasm Polk County head volleyball coach Molly Hill has for the start of postseason play.
“I am excited about going into playoffs,” Hill said. “I think we have the potential to do well and make it far. I feel like my team has grow a lot this season and made some really good steps towards goals that they all set for themselves and as a team, especially considering we have girls in new positions and playing in spots that never have before.
“We still have things that get in our way and slow us down as a team, so I challenged the girls to stay focused and to really come together during this time.”
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Hill and the Wolverines begin their playoff journey on Saturday, hosting Franklin at 2 p.m. in a first-round 2A matchup. Tickets for the game will be $6, and only North Carolina High School Athletic Association passes will be accepted.
Polk County enters with a 17-7 record, though the Wolverines lost three of their final four regular-season matches. Two of those three losses came at Hendersonville and Brevard, both also in the 2A West bracket.
“It definitely throws up some concerns, especially after looking at the playoff bracket and seeing that we might be playing some of those same teams in playoffs depending on how far we make it,” Hill said. “We are working on our mental toughness and not letting that get in our way.
“I tell them to be mentally disciplined and to only allow themselves to think about their job on the court and what they have to do for their team. At the same time, I feel excited and pumped up to have another chance to play some teams that we lost to and get a chance to redeem ourselves and really show them our potential and how we can play.”
Before Polk can worry about those rematches, the Wolverines must first get past Frankin and a possible second-round match with 21-5 West Stanly. Hill is optimistic that the Wolverines can do just that.
“One thing that really drives me as a coach and something I am trying to teach my team is the mentality or attitude to prove people wrong,” Hill said. “Teams might look at us and say they are small, they only have nine girls, etc., but I want to show everyone that these nine girls are capable of anything.
“With that being said, my nine girls, and now 11 girls because I pulled up two JV players, have to play as a team and play for the person next to them. I always say there is no I in team. It can’t be about yourself. It has to be about everyone coming together and making a difference. The only way that is going to happen is if we stay mentally disciplined and focused, so its kind of a continuous never ending cycle.
“I truly believe that if we play together as a team and we all make the choice to be united within one another and play as one on the court and not as six individuals, than we will be unstoppable and we will continue to advance through playoffs.”
