Two weeks of practice and mental preparation have set the Northwest College volleyball team up for a long opening weekend, heading to North Dakota to play five matches over the first three days of competition this season.

“It’s been a good two weeks,” coach Scott Keister said. “It’s new for most of these kids.”

He said that throughout the preseason the Trappers have shown that it is a raw, athletic group that will have room for massive growth throughout the season as the team looks to refine its skills to the college game.

Injuries hampered the Trappers a year ago, with Keister looking to prevent that same disaster from happening again and giving the team a few days off physically to end the first two weeks before swinging back into action this week.

“We were starting to get some things that weren’t major, but it was good to rest our bodies,” Keister said. “On those two days we did a lot of mental training, so they had it off physically but not mentally.”

Keister returns three sophomores who played in the rotation on last year’s team alongside several sophomores that were either part of the team or were in Powell last year to help lead the team.

“They are leading tremendously,” Keister said. “They have a little bit of a bitter taste in their mouth from last year with team chemistry along with the frustration with injuries and things like that. It’s a huge refresher this year to see the passion that is back in the gym.”

He said the team is constantly wanting to get in the gym to continue improving their skills, with Keister joking that he has to kick them off the court at times to get rest.

Keister said the team has been representing itself well in the community, with families providing meals to the team due to campus food services being scarce or unavailable prior to the start of school.

“They are going to represent us well, and that’s exactly where I want it to be in this program,” Keister said. “I want us to be a good representation of the college, the team and of themselves. Everything else will come after that and naturally fall.”

EARLY SEASON LOSS

Coming into the first week of camp the Trappers were expected to have four sophomores back who played in the rotation last year, but were dealt a surprise when it was discovered that Jocelyn Sanders would not be returning to the team.

“Losing Jocelyn was a blow, we are sad about that but she’s gotta do what she’s gotta do what’s best for her family,” Keister said.

Sanders was second team All Region IX last season.

He said that he learned from his mistakes last year and has four players rostered as middle blockers to help the rotation, with players stepping up and moving into the rotation throughout camp.

FIVE GAME SWING

Experience will come fast for the Trappers this weekend, heading to Bismarck, North Dakota, to take part in the Bismarck Invitational on Thursday and Friday.

Northwest will take on the University of Jamestown junior varsity team at 2 p.m. on Thursday, followed by hosts Bismarck State College at 6 p.m.

On Friday the Trappers will take on Miles Community College at 8 a.m. followed by Dawson Community College at noon.

That will wrap up the tournament. Powell will play an additional match against the Dickinson State junior varsity team on Saturday at 10 a.m. in Dickinson, North Dakota, before returning home.

“We are going to a place we have never gone to,” Keister said. “I am really looking to figure us out … We are going to get a lot of matches. We are going to play a lot of different lineups with some kids in different positions. If we can come out with some wins that would be awesome, but if not I really don’t care. It’s always nice to win, but winning is going to matter more in September and October once we hit conference.”