Bruin volleyball plans to bounce back in 2019

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Women's volleyball team huddle
Salt Lake Community College volleyball players huddle together after a point during a match against College of Southern Nevada on Oct. 18, 2018. (Courtesy of SLCC Athletics)

Sue Dulaney has been coaching volleyball for over 30 years.

Entering her 12th season as the head coach of women’s volleyball at Salt Lake Community College, Dulaney has earned plenty of wins. But after an unfortunate rules infraction resulted in SLCC forfeiting all but one regular-season win last year, Dulaney and her squad are looking to rebound in 2019.

Prior to 2018, SLCC had finished first or second in the Scenic West Athletic Conference standings under Dulaney. Dulaney’s teams have won the Region 18 championship three times and finished in the top 10 in NJCAA standings six times, with a best finish of fourth in three different seasons.

Volleyball fundamentals

A volleyball match puts two teams of six players on a court separated by a net.

Play begins with a serve from one team to the other. Each team can hit the ball no more than three times before the ball has to pass over the net and into the opposing team’s area.

Players can kick the volleyball in an emergency, such as if the ball is about to land out of bounds.

A team earns a point if the ball hits the ground in bounds on the opponent’s side. The first team to 25 points wins a match, and the team that wins three matches wins the game.

“Volleyball isn’t about the fancy hits or serves, it’s all about cooperating as a team. Working together is the key element for unlocking different sets of strategic plays for a team,” Dulaney says.

When the recruitment season comes around, Dulaney looks for athletes that can work together and are willing to cooperate among themselves.

“Skills and techniques improve in a team. That’s because everyone has different sets of skills that need to be honed by one another. By knowing each other’s weak points can a real team be made by helping overcome and filling those gaps,” Dulaney says.

The 2019 SLCC women’s volleyball schedule begins August 23, with the first home match taking place August 29.

Anyone can come and watch the Bruins in the Lifetime Activities Center at Taylorsville Redwood Campus. Entrance is free for SLCC students and staff with a OneCard.

Go cheer and have a blast, watching and supporting our volleyball team.

Jensyn Turner shakes hands with opponents
Salt Lake Community College sophomore Jensyn Turner (7) leads the volleyball team through the handshake line after the Bruins lost a match to College of Southern Nevada on Oct. 18, 2018. (Courtesy of SLCC Athletics)
Globe staff contributed to this story.

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