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For one, it was the first year since the sport seasons changed, moving volleyball to the fall. That alone was difficult for the Martians to adjust to. Last year, coach Robyn Batterbee was unsure how to use the summer leading into the season.

"Last year it was my first year coaching with the season switching and not really understanding what the summer was going to look like, but we just kind of threw something together," Batterbee said.

Batterbee appears to have made the necessary adjustments, however, as has her team, which she says is more focused this off-season.

"This year, we've actually had a strength and conditioning coach come in and set up a program for us, so the girls are following that every day," Batterby said.

"I know we have several seniors this year, five of them, and we didn't finish as well as what they wanted to last year," she said. "So I think their outlook is little bit different this year, because it is their last year of playing high school ball. So I have a feeling that they're really going to be chomping at the bit to do the best that they can, and it shows already this summer."

It was that finish Batterbee refers to that was the second part of the learning process for Goodrich volleyball.

Goodrich finished second to Mount Morris in their conference and entered the district playoffs with high hopes, only to be eliminated in the second round. The Martians early playoff exit last year has stuck with the team and is one reason this summer's practices have been so focused, said senior, Chynna Blaker.

"The conditioning is a rush and it's really hard to make it to, but it's definitely worth it," Blaker said. "It's one of those things where you don't want to go, but you do it because you know it's for the better, and I love it, because it really makes us work hard."

While the team is doing all they can to prepare for the season, they know it's what happens on the court in the fall that counts.

"Last year we we're a little overconfident going into the last few rounds of districts but this year I think we're definitely going to take each game one game at a time," said senior Samantha Gagnon. "We're more focused on beating the team that we're against rather than looking toward the future, so I think we're going to do better with the overconfidence issue."

After last season's premature playoff exit, Gagnon admits there will be more pressure on her and her four senior teammates to go deeper into the playoffs.

"There's always pressure. Going into each game, especially being a senior this year, you kind of feel pressure to lead the team and make sure we go as far as we can," she said. "But we do have such a large group of seniors this year that the pressure's kind of evenly placed upon all of us so no one person feels the pressure, so that's kind of nice."

Fellow senior Niki McKerracher thinks the bond that she and her senior teammates she will be key to the team's success.

"We're just such a tight bunch this year," she said. "We've been playing together for so long, and we're close with the coaches and we're real close together as a team."

Even with improved focus and a large and experienced senior class, the Martians know their road won't be easy.
"I know there's a lot of good teams out there. Durand, Lakeville, and Mount Morris gave us a hard time last year, so those are good games that are going to be really stressful that we're going to work through and hopefully pull out wins,"

McKerracher said. "We're just trying to focus on doing the best that we can. We're just trying to come together as a team and have a quicker offense and just do it the best that we can. But we're hoping to win districts and the league, and it's all bonuses if we do that."