Thursday, November 8, 2018

2018 SLC Interviews: Kaitlyn Grice of UNO

I filmed this interview with UNO middle blocker Kaitlyn Grice back when the Privateers came to Nacogdoches, but this was right at the time when SFA was really starting to stretch its winning streak out and other stories were beginning to develop for our club.  So, knowing that we were going to play UNO again, I've saved the interview for this week.  Here is the link where you can watch my 15-minute conversation with Kaitlyn Grice.

Grice is amazing to me.  She has consistently been among the attack percentage leaders and the block per set leaders in the conference over the past few years.  As of the filming of this interview she was 4th in the NCAA in total blocks.  Coming into action as of this writing, she is 7th with an astounding 147 total blocks.  There is little doubt in my mind that Grice is one of the most underrated players in the Southland.

Here is the question list for the interview, but make sure and hit the link above to watch the interview with one of the best blockers our conference has to offer.

1.  This is your senior year.  Have you embraced that it is the last year for college volleyball or tired to put that out of your mind?

2. Your mother played college volleyball.  What was it like to grow up in a house with such athletic talent?  When it became clear you were headed for college volleyball yourself, what advice did your Mom give you?

3. Describe the process of being recruited from Florida, where  you grew up, to play at the University of New Orleans?

4. What is the biggest difference being at UNO as compared to home?

5.  In 2015, your freshman year at UNO, the team had its best overall season in a long time and then suffered through a five win season a year later.  What changed and how did you deal with that mentally having such a team drop off?

6. Do you feel as though the last two years have rebuild to the point where UNO may be getting close to recovering the level of success during 2015?  Explain.

7. Many of your recent matches have been lost late in sets or in five sets.  UNO has had several leads it has not been able to hold.  Has this been focused on in practice and what has to improve in order to close out these tight sets and matches?

8. You have a difficult schedule at the end of conference play.  Has this been discussed in practices and how has the team reacted knowing that the schedule is back loaded?

9. What have you improved on the most as a blocker during your time at UNO?

10. What are the first skills that a young middle blocker needs to develop - say a young junior high girl first learning the position - in order to be successful?

11. Where in a middle blockers' development does the concept of being able to read setters and hitters begin to take hold?

12. What can you attribute your consistency to - especially in attack percentages, which have been particularly high.  What allows you to maintain such a high level of efficiency in attack?

13. What is your favorite shot/play to run?  Which shot/play have you had to work on the most during your time at UNO in order to improve?