Forty-four present at M-ettes Volleyball Camp

The Malta M-ettes volleyball team hosted it's annual M-ettes Volleyball camp last Monday through Wednesday, with 45 girls fourth through eighth grade present for the three day event.

The event was led by M-ettes Head Coach, Julia Tatafu, Tasha Hines and honorary coach Kalli Reintjes.

The camp was officiated by coaches and Varsity and JV players.

The girls participated in countless drills including an aggressive favorite called "Around the World," which the participants would line up in lines of five in a circle facing each other. At the start, the ladies at the end of the line would take off as if in a game of duck-duck-goose and run around the entire circle, the athletes would then go under the legs of their teammate and reach for a volleyball. One volleyball would be taken out every time, thus eliminating a player.

The real fun began, when the last two in the volleyball pit would fight for the last ball, almost turning volleyball into a wrestling match.

"The ones who aren't afraid to hit the the floor are typically good at defense," said Coach Tatafu. "It's a fun team effort workout.

Another favorite was a game called "Catepillar," which was a game to help the campers learn how to directionally serve.

A high school M-ette player would start to slowly walk on the opposite side of the next while campers would serve the ball in effort to hit the high schooler or "caterpillar. Once a camper missed they would join the M-ette spiker and eventually the line would look like a caterpillar. In order to restart the campers would attempt to touch balls served at them.

At the conclusion of the camp awards were given including, Most Improved Camper of the Week, Miss Volleyball, Miss Spirit and Most Valuable Camper.

"Miss Volleyball is a girl that not only hustles a ton, but is a great teammate-who cheers her team on," said Tatafu. "She has to be coachable, work hard and an all around M-ette volleyball player."

The Miss Spirit award was given to a vocal leader/ cheerleader, who encouraged her teammates the most during the camp.

The MVP, was the best all-around player as far as serving, setting and spiking.

To level the playing field a little more, the camp also gave an award for Camper of the Day.

"I let our team pick out the campers of the day," said Tatafu. "The high school girls have been helping me out this camp. They looked for someone that hustles, is coaching their teammates on, someone that's coachable."

The future seems bring for the Malta M-ettes volleyball team with so many young women attending camp.