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Centerville girls' jump serves 'intimidating'
Friday, September 12, 2008
Extras
Allison Helm perfects her jump serve during volleyball practice at Centerville High School. CENTERVILLE — Talk about an aerial assault.
The Centerville High School girls volleyball team unleashes its rare lethal weapon — the jump serve.
It's common in men's volleyball. There are few girls who can elevate and spike from the back line and land the serve with accuracy. It's demoralizing when you can unleash a cannon serve from two or three feet in the air.
"It can be intimidating," said Centerville junior outside hitter Ashley Sarmiento. "Not everyone does it. When an opponent sees three or four jump servers coming at them, it's like pow, wow."
Centerville head coach Monte Moser encourages his girls to utilize the jump serve, even in close matches or when the team is trailing.
"I want the girls to build up confidence serving aggressively in critical situations," Moser said. "It puts us on the offensive. It's confounding. We saw it in the Olympics in the men's game. The jump serve puts pressure on your opponent and challenges them. Opponents think about it too much. It puts us on the offensive."
There are two jump serves — top spin and floater.
"You can generate a lot of power with it (top spin)," said Erin Krafka, who leads the team in aces and has a nice floater. "You're in the air and swinging down at the top of your jump. It puts other teams on the defensive. It's exciting when you get an ace."
The floater resembles a knuckleball with little or no spin.
"With the floater, there is suddenly a turn of direction and it confuses," said junior outside hitter Katelyn Versen. "It's hard to figure out where it's going."
Versen said it's hard to pass and it goes off in all directions.
Versen said it took her three years to develop her jump serve and that it was "trial and error.
"I takes timing, jumping and tossing it in the front right shoulder," Versen said. "The timing, the approach and toss are difficult, then you have the arm swing."
The Elks' goal is to win the Greater Western Ohio Conference. They are off to a 4-2 start with quality wins over Chaminade-Julienne, Beavercreek, Springboro and Butler. Losses were to state powerhouses Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame and St. Henry.
"Against C-J, we made clutch plays back and forth and then gutting it out in the end," Moser said.
In addition to Krafka, Versen and Sarmiento, other capable jump servers are outside hitters Allison Helm and Amy Disser.
We have very high expectations," Moser said. "Our weapons are pretty spread out and we don't rely on one or two players."
Krafka triggers the 5-1 offense as the setter.
"Erin knows our hitters," Moser said. "She's experienced and plays at a high level. She makes good decisions on where to set so it can be most advantageous for the hitters."
Other key players include libero Lydia Nemeth, middle hitter-blocker Heather Adams and senior middle hitter Grace Von Maluski.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2478
or rjackson@DaytonDailyNews.com.
