Inola Volleyball Coach Tyler Swope
VYPE: Your team has played some impressive matches through August and into September. What have you seen from this team that you feel is a big positive in their overall development?
Tyler Swope: Returning only one six rotation starter from last season has been a challenge for our team this year, but I feel like the younger players are really growing through the struggle of playing ranked teams almost every single night. I think our team is learning how to compete and play hard every set and that has gotten better and better as the season has progressed.
VYPE: Has anything surprised you this season?
TS: It’s not a huge surprise, but one surprise because I knew she had it in her to be great, but just how great our junior Libero Megan Bell has been. She has kept so many rallies alive with timely digs and she’s really taken leadership of the back row. We still have at least 14 matches left and she’s only about 130 digs away from the school single season record. She’s had a great junior season and I couldn’t be more proud of her.
VYPE: Support for Inola sports has always been good, what makes this community a great place to be a coach?
TS: I could give a much longer answer on the support this community gives to all our teams but suffice it to say that I have never seen a support system like we have here in Inola. The community always shows up for athletic events and anywhere I go in town, whether it be the gas station, our great barbecue joint Countrymen BBQ, or even a Sunday morning at church, it’s never failed that someone says something supportive about our volleyball program. I can’t imagine coaching anywhere except Inola.
VYPE: This team has played some highly ranked teams in close matches, how close is this group to turning those close matches into wins?
TS: 12 of our 25 matches have been against top 10 ranked teams so we’ve definitely taken our fair share of lumps, but we have been in most of those sets along the way. A couple mistakes here and there have been the difference for us many times this season and I really feel like we’re close to turning a corner on those. This team is starting to believe in themselves, and that belief is the first step towards taking down some of the highly ranked giants in our class.
VYPE: Is there a player or two on the team that have stepped up this season and taken on a leadership role or maybe they are leading through their play on the court?
TS: I’ve already mentioned junior Libero Megan Bell as a player who has stepped up with both her play on the court and her leadership. Another player that has done so is senior Outside Hitter Sydney Coblentz. Sydney has been our leader offensively all season long as well as our best server and our best passer in serve receive. After we had that big senior class graduate last season, Sydney knew she was going to have to step up her game in a big way this season and she’s answered that call every step of the way.
VYPE: Talk about your assistant coaches and their contributions to the team.
TS: I have two assistant coaches, Melissa Powers and Cindy Barnett. Inola Volleyball would not be the same program it is or have had any of the success we’ve been blessed to have without the two of them. They do anything and everything a head coach could ask for in an assistant and they keep things rolling for our program. I’m blessed to work with them and to have them both on staff here at Inola.
