For The Tribune

Paige McCammon said she plans to play volleyball at Immanuel Lutheran School this fall, so she wants to learn as much about the game as she possibly can.

This is her first year to attend the volleyball camp at Trinity Lutheran High School this week.

“I wanted to learn how to (pass),” the incoming sixth-grader said. “I like hitting the ball.”

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McCammon also said she attended the cheerleading camp earlier this summer. She plans to play volleyball and run cross-country during the fall, and be a cheerleader during basketball season.

Chelsea Stroud, first-year head volleyball coach at Trinity Lutheran, is the camp director.

Stroud divided the girls into two groups, Grades 3 through 5 and 6 through 8.

The coach is joined by members of the Trinity volleyball team.

“(The younger kids learn) mostly the fundamentals,” Stroud said. “A lot of them think you just have to go out here and try to get the ball over the net, so we’re working on their platform, using the correct footwork, keeping their elbow up, and just the little things that can make a difference. We’re trying to keep it fun.”

Stroud gives the younger girls the option of serving underhand or overhand, and some of them feel more comfortable serving underhand and some like serving overhand.

“We taught both at the camp to see what they feel more comfortable with,” Stroud said. “When they play games they’ll go to what they feel more comfortable with.”

Bailey Reynolds, who will be a seventh-grader at Immanuel, said this is her second year attending the camp.

“I’m trying to learn how to communicate better, keep the speed up and go for every ball,” she listed as her goals at camp.

“I play all the way around. I pass pretty well. Not all of them are perfect but I’m working on passing.”

She said serving is one of her strong points.

“I serve floaters mainly. I serve pretty hard, and I try to make the ball move as much as possible,” Reynolds said. “I enjoy just being with my friends, being active and staying healthy.”

With the older kids, Stroud goes more in depth with the drills.

“They already know the fundamentals, so we’re just critiquing little fundamental things on each player,” Stroud said. “So if one person isn’t doing something right we’re on them and on them to help them for the season.”

The campers worked on a different aspect of the game each day. On Monday the girls worked on passing and setting, Tuesday they did serve and serve receive, and Wednesday they focused on hitting and defense.

Stroud said Thursday the campers were involved in scrimmage and game-type situations.

“We’re putting everything together,” she said. “We’re also working on communication because a lot of them are really shy right now so we’re trying to give them that comfort zone, especially on the volleyball court because that is what I definitely look for as a coach, talking and communicating to your teammates and stuff.

“We’re trying to teach that at a younger age so when they get to high school we don’t have to keep on them.”

This is Stroud’s third year working at the camp. She was freshman coach at Trinity two years ago and was junior varsity coach last fall.