With a relatively youthful squad this season, Grapevine volleyball coach Diane Wilson needs a spark to get things going, and that may just come in the form of two Grapevine teammates who competed in a national beach volleyball tournament this summer.
Kelsey Odom and Taylor Nyquist are two of the first-year players on this year’s Lady Mustangs squad, and Wilson said they are practically joined at the hip.
"Where you see one, you see the other," Wilson said. "They have a pure passion for the game. These girls only take about two weeks off during the year. Even during the time that they were off, they asked me where they could go to get some instruction and some playing time, so I have probably not ever had any other athletes show such desire to play year round as Kelsey and Taylor."
Odom said she has a couple of qualities she thinks she brings to the table and has two objectives she would like to accomplish for the coming season.
"I want to bring noise and confidence," Odom said. "My goals are not to get frustrated when I mess up and for the team to make the playoffs."
Odom said playing in the beach volleyball nationals was something that she and Nyquist both gained a lot from, and something that was very special for her, because she had to miss the regional competition this year with an injury.
"Two people have to cover the whole court," Odom said. "You feel like you have more freedom. In 2007, Taylor and I were the regional champs and then this year we placed in the top 10 at nationals."
Odom said it is an adjustment to switch from playing beach volleyball to court volleyball, but said she is ready to go.
"In sand, you can’t depend on as many other people to get the ball," Odom said. "But it helps your movement a lot so that when you get indoors, it’s a lot easier."
Wilson said she believes Odom and Nyquist can step into leadership roles for the Lady Mustangs this season and really make an impact for the team and on the players.
"Both of them are first-year varsity players," Wilson said. "This week has been a true test to see what they can bring. Both of them really lived up to my expectations. They showed a lot of aggressiveness on the court and energy. They want to prove themselves...my hope would be that they can handle the pressure of staying on the court all six rotations throughout the entire season."