Ole Brook volleyball facing mental hurdle

BROOKHAVEN — Ole Brook Head Coach Charlton Grey told his volleyball team they needed to get out of their heads after being swept by Salem Attendance Center. The team lost in three straight sets 25-20, 25-22 and 25-14 Thursday night.

Season No.4 is off to a tough start with losses to Lawrence County, McComb, West Marion and now Salem. Physically, the Panthers are on the same level as other teams. Brookhaven has improved tremendously in passing, setting and hitting. The Panthers biggest hurdle is a mental one.

Senior Olivia Smith agreed with coach Grey’s thoughts after Thursday’s loss. She said she feels anxious playing in her senior season.

“All you want to do is win, win, win. You all have to come together and work together,” Smith said. “It is not a one man sport, it is a six man sport. You all have to be in the same mindset. After we lost the first two sets we got down. We gave up in our heads and it showed.”

Ole Brook had chances to win the first two sets but Salem found momentum to pull out wins. In the third set, Salem controlled from the start. Grey told the girls after the game he knows they can play better.

Smith said the team performs better in practice. The team is having a tough time playing up to their standards in a real game setting. In practice, Smith said they run for balls and communicate well and it changes with a crowd and opposing team.

“We get out here and get anxious. It’s a real game and it’s a completely different feeling,” Smith said. “I think it will take some team bonding. We need to be together and be friends. Each year, our team gets better every single game. We all love the game.”

A senior season

She is a veteran leader on the team and the most experienced. Smith moved from Tyler, Texas where students learned to play volleyball so she had some understanding of the game. Her first year in Brookhaven was the first year the school started its volleyball program.

Smith said volleyball was calling her name and she decided to play. She was able to teach some of the other girls what she had learned in Texas although admittedly she was a little shy.

In her senior season, she has found her voice and helps coach on the court. Any fan closely watching the volleyball match Thursday could see Smith directing players and encouraging them. Smith has grown as the program has grown.

“The first year I cried after every game we lost. I grew up over that and got better. Its now my senior year and I hope I can play in college. I love the game,” Smith said. “That first year, I was so shy and I have found my confidence. I tell people what we can do so we can win and we started doing it. We are capable of going to district. I really believe we can go the whole way if we stay out of our heads and push forward.”

Smith plays more than just volleyball. She is on the soccer team and softball team. Her hope is to play any sport in college but volleyball is her preferred sport. Smith said she wants to study dentistry in college.

“I’ve been scared of the dentist my whole life but lately they have made me feel more comfortable,” Smith said. “It inspired me to help others who are scared to feel comfortable.”

Brookhaven will regroup and play at Terry Monday night. First serve is set for 6 p.m. On Aug. 22, the Panthers will host Wesson at 6:30 p.m.

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