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	The Ypsilanti Courier A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Netters seeking mental toughness

Ypsilanti comes up short in Saturday tourney

By Bruce Mason, Special Writer

PUBLISHED: January 25, 2007

Ypsilanti varsity volleyball coach Ryan Minarik knows his team has talent. People tell him that — all the time, he said.

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But Minarik is having trouble convincing his team of that very fact.

"Ninety percent of sports is mental," Minarik said. "When we're on, it's fun to watch us play. Seeing those low points when we don't want to move, or talk, it kills you."

Minarik is concerned about a recent pattern developing within his team, he said it's puzzling to him because his players will look great for three to four games, but then hit a lull.

Minarik is at the point where he is seriously considering a sports psychologist for the team.

"Maybe I need to," he said, adding that one of his coaches is from Eastern Michigan University and may be able to find a sports psychologist at EMU.

"We should see if we could get one going," he said.

In Tecumseh Jan. 13, Minarik said his girls were down all day. Then in a tournament at Fraser Saturday, it happened again. As Minarik described it, his girls, "looked like middle school kids. Heads down, not talking."

During the tournament ,Grosse Pointe North defeated Ypsilanti, 22-25 and 13-25 in pool play. In the quarterfinals, Ypsilanti fell short to North again, 11-25, 25-21, 5-15.

But Ypsilanti, with a record of 6-15-2, won two games out of five at the Fraser tournament, and already has tied last year's win total.

Ypsilanti defeated St. Clair Shores Lakeshore, 26-24, 17-25, 20-18. The Railsplitters also beat the Fraser junior varsity, 26-24, 25-20. But against the Fraser varsity, Ypsilanti, "Just got dominated," said Minarik, and lost 25-14, 25-10.

On Jan. 17, Ypsilanti lost to Allen Park at home in five games, 20-25, 27-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-12.

Middle hitter Dominique Jones had 14 kills, with 12 of them in the final three games. Middle hitter Kaila Claxton had 15 kills.