Thunderhawks volleyball getting their summer reps at SMSU

The Grand Rapids High School volleyball team is getting plenty of summer reps as they participate in a four-day camp conducted by the Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball program.

The Thunderhawks are in the midst of their own summer camp and are spending Monday through Thursday this week in Marshall, Minn. They are among 32 high school teams participating in three-a-day volleyball sessions focused on skills in the morning, ball control in the afternoon, and 6 vs. 6 games in the evening.

“It’s a lot of play,” said Thunderhawks coach Bekah Sutherland, who says the number of reps players get in this annual camp is a main reason the team makes the trip to Marshall every summer.

The teams begin their day at 9 a.m. and finish their third session at 8:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday this week, before a final tournament amongst the 32 on the final day Thursday.

With the number of teams and players in Marshall, Sutherland explained it’s a community effort to coordinate the camp, with volleyball courts set up at SMSU, the high school, and even the elementary school.

She said the first session of the week was “rough,” but refocusing on the fundamentals for the second session had them back on track.

“They’re having fun,” according to Sutherland, who said they are even playing some volleyball during break time in-between sessions.

The team will return to Grand Rapids at the end of the week and resume their summer camp through the end of the month, before beginning their fall season next month.