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Volume 38 Issue 2
September 19, 2000

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Volleyball hopes to rebuild program with former assistant

BY TONY VILLAGOMEZ
MESA LEGEND
Submitted September 19, 2000

This year’s girls volleyball team is searching for the right ingredients for winning and new head coach Tom Barsch is trying to find the recipe.

Barsch, an assistant with the T-Birds the past two seasons, took over for Robin Ikeda when she became the MCC Program Adviser for student activities.

Tom Barsch

“Ultimately, we hope to field a team to compete in nationals, but we know we are working on building a foundation,” said Barsch, who was an assistant at Glendale Community College for seven years, helping lead the Gauchos to nationals twice. “This is what we did at Glendale. It took us a couple of years to get the respect and to bring national players to our program.”

The T-Birds are 1-4 going into the Yavapai Tournament Sept. 7-9, yet Barsch sees positives in the slow start.

“We are a very good team defensively. Our digs-per-game are near the top in the conference. By the end of the year we could be the top defensive team.”

But, Barsch admits this season will be used for rebuilding the program.

“Freshmen have a hard time with the standings. They see their placement in our conference and then start playing like that placement. If we can keep our players from falling into that pitfall we can have a good season.”

If MCC does make a move, it will be because of setting specialist April Nelson and Leilani Pacheco.

“This year our philosophy is different,” Pacheco said. “Last year we hit to a dominant hitter. Barsch has changed to a system where we run set plays.

“The focus isn’t any one hitter. No one player is standing out. We win as a team.”

Pacheco isn’t the only player that is adjusting to Barsch’s new system.

Former East Sky Region Player of the Year and MCC hard-hitter Amanda Ware is dipping her feet into junior college volleyball.

“He (Barsch) is a really good teacher. Honestly, he’s doing a great job,” said Ware, who helped lead Chaparral High School to the 4A Semifinals last season.

“We haven’t hit that peak where we all play well together, but I think we’re close.

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