Isabel Kelly jumps so high she can almost touch the sky and despite earning All-Western League honors as a sophomore middle blocker for the Palisades High girls varsity volleyball team last season, she has been moved to outside hitter this fall in an effort to get her more swings. It’s a good thing she is a fast learner.
“We lost a lot of talent in the front row but we’ve gotten a few new players to help gain back that talent,” she said. “Playing outside is different because I can’t just hit the ball straight down, I have to hit at an angle and I know there will be blockers.”
Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer
Kelly, who touches nine feet, eight inches on her vertical leap, has gotten more confident as an outside attacker playing for the Dolphins’ beach volleyball team, where she partnered with Sadie Gray. The Dolphins advanced to the second round of the Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League playoffs in May.
“Outdoor is all about skills,” explained Kelly, who played on Sunshine Volleyball Club’s 16-2s team (coached by Stephanie Wigfall) in the offseason and will move up to the 17s next year. “Indoor is more of a business thing. I play beach on the side for fun.”
Coach Carlos Gray’s strategy is simple: moving Kelly to the outside gets her more involved in the offense and she is taking to her new position very well.
“We want to get the ball to her as much as we can and this way teams can’t take her out of the game,” he said. “Last year, we didn’t get her the ball enough. Beach has two major advantages: it increases your ball control and gives you more explosiveness because it’s a form of resistance training.”
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