Volleyball team Triopia shines in summer competition

VIRGINIA – The Triopia volleyball team defeated West Central in straight games in the championship match of the Triopia Summer Volleyball League earlier this summer.

But while most of the players are the same, this is a different Triopia team than the one that took to the field last season.

“They looked really good,” Triopia coach Shelly Ganz said. “They play well together. A lot of them can play multiple positions, which helps us. And I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can do.”

Triopia has nearly everyone back, with many experienced players. After losing Anna Miller to graduation, Ganz moved Lucie Dion to outside hitter. Senior Addison Rohn will be in the front row, with senior Ellie Dambacher replacing her in the back row. “Addison Rohn has just been on fire this summer,” Ganz said. “She’s worked really hard in the offseason, and it shows.”

Senior Chelsea Bell is hitting the ball harder than ever, and that’s saying something. “She’s hitting it hard,” Ganz said. “She gets really frustrated with herself when she’s struggling, but when she sees that ball, she’s really placed it well this season. I think she’s finding a lot of holes and putting the ball there.”

Confidence is sky-high, and Ganz said her team is a much closer unit now than it was. “We just had a great camp coach here and he did a lot of skills work. That was really great, but I think for our team, every season, it’s always about working through mindset issues,” she said. “And I feel like this season, right from the beginning, I’m starting to see so much more confidence.”

Junior libero Jaden Stambaugh is a case in point. Stambaugh was a bit overwhelmed last year in her first season on the varsity team. Not so this year. “She was a nervous wreck,” the coach said. “And I see so much more confidence in her already. She seems so calm, and she’s calling people off the ball and she’s more aggressive — things she didn’t do last year, which makes a huge difference.”

Dambacher, who was a hitter at the JV level, is making similar strides in the back row. “She’s starting to gain more confidence there,” Ganz said. “That confidence is doing wonders for us. And it’s such a good group of girls. They play so well together and they like each other.”

The experience gained over the last two to three years will pay off this season. “We have a lot of talent and we have a lot of leaders,” Ganz said. “Some are quiet leaders and some are not. But I keep telling them that if someone is struggling, we have five others who can really step up. So I think we’re a pretty well-rounded team.

“I’m really looking forward to our season,” said the coach.