Photo: Varsity head coach, Ms. Hillary Trebels, greets sophomore defensive specialist Jaden White after her substitution at the Warren County Game. The game resulted in a win, making the Mustang’s record 4-2 as of September 15. (Photo by Sierra Sulc)
A new school year comes with new people, new ideas, and new goals. Ms. Hillary Trebels brings all of those qualities as she rises to varsity head coach position for the 2015 George Mason volleyball season.
During her first year of teaching at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, Trebels began volleyball with Mason as a volunteer assistant coach. The seventh grade science?teacher then assisted former head coach Mr. Erik Healey in 2014, where she led the defensive warm up drills and kept statistics for the junior varsity team.
“Now I am more the brains over the brawn,” Trebels said. “It’s very different as the head coach, [it’s] a lot more responsibility and planning. It makes me appreciate the game for so many more reasons that go into it.”
One of the greatest assets Trebels brings to the program is her background and experience in volleyball. As a Division 1 athlete from UVA, Trebels contributes to practices with technical skills and plays. She believes that playing college volleyball helped her notice a lot more from the sidelines that you wouldn’t notice just playing.
“[Coach Trebels] can relate to the mental game as a player because volleyball is as much mental as it is physical and so I think she knows what it’s like when it’s a tight game and she knows what it’s like when we’re down a set. I really think that it’s helpful that she has insight in that area,” said senior co-captain Mary Catherine Donovan.
“I think since she took it to the collegiate level, she has an above and beyond understanding of how volleyball and teams work; especially with girls. When I go to her with a question, I know she will give me an answer I will understand and I can execute it,” said junior co-captain Shaun Rodock.
Trebels has brought changes to the team this season that have to do with the offense. This year, the team changed its rotation to a modified 5-1 so that both setters on the team can play and in their positions of strength. The offensive calls for hits have been changed as well so now there is a wider range of hitting options.
“I’ve noticed a lot more positivity on the court. Coach Trebels doesn’t want to look for the negative, she looks for the positive and goes from there,” said Rodock.
Aside from winning districts, Mason volleyball has two key goals that they are trying to accomplish this season: chemistry and hard work.
“I expect to build team chemistry,” said Rodock. “It’s the most important thing we can have. I expect us to all start really figuring out how everyone plays [so that] when playing with someone, instead of prohibiting their skills, you’re giving them the ability to be confident on the court.”
One way Trebels encourages chemistry is having the girls scrimmage each other in practice and work with different teammates.
“The program always tries to put together a competitive team. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance, but now it’s just a thing of putting it all together,” said Trebels. With hard work, effort, and chemistry, the Mustang’s expect to be on the road to districts.
This seems even more attainable now with the guidance and encouragement from their new head coach, Hillary Trebels.
