ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, January 31, 1996            TAG: 9601310027
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
DATELINE: FLOYD
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS STAFF WRITER 

NEW COACH IS NET GAIN FOR BUFFS VOLLEYBALL

When Wilson assumed command of the Buffaloes volleyball program this season for the departed April Underwood, she inherited a team with a penchant for winning and making annual playoff appearances. Sounds like the circumstances that last year greeted a certain coach who just picked up a Super Bowl ring.

Floyd County has been a volleyball force in Group A, qualifying for the Region C playoffs five consecutive years. Now Wilson, like Switzer in Dallas, is being counted on to keep the tradition alive.

"I think this team is starting to play very well," Wilson said. "I don't want to talk about making the state tournament just yet, but this team can make it back to regions again this season. My goal in my first year as head coach is not to let this team down."

A couple of weeks ago, just winning a match would have been enough for the first-year coach. The Buffaloes opened the season 0-4, with losses to Blacksburg, Carroll County (twice) and James River.

"All the matches were pretty close, and those schools are normally strong teams," Wilson said. "The team just needed to gain a little confidence and get its first win."

Confidence arrived with the start of the Three Rivers District season. The Buffaloes knocked off preseason favorites Giles and Radford, and suddenly found themselves atop the league standings with a 2-0 mark.

"The district is pretty even from top to bottom," Wilson said. "We know we have to continue to play well. We can't take anything for granted. Those are both tough teams, and we have to play them again."

The recent turnaround can be traced to two sources: The team has come to understand Wilson's new scheme, while also learning some discipline.

The new offensive and serving sets gave the team some initial problems, Wilson said, but as the team grew together, an understanding of what she wanted developed.

"At first it was hard with the changes in the offense and the defense, and we had to do a lot of work," senior setter Heather Burnette said. "But now we've adjusted to the positions, and we like it. Things are going better, and I think the changes are working well."

Perhaps the most noticeable difference in the Wilson-coached team and the previous Buffaloes teams is the level of commitment to the sport the 1995-96 edition maintains.

"In the past, this team has worked hard to get to the regionals, but once they got there, they seemed to slack off and relax," Wilson said. "It was a complaint I heard from even the parents of the kids. April was a great coach, but for some reason the kids just let down at the end."

As a former player at Floyd County and Bluefield College, Wilson said she understands the level of commitment the sport of volleyball requires and she has tried to convey that to her team.

"You can tell this team has a very different attitude than past teams," senior middle hitter Melissa Cantrell said. "In the past, volleyball was like something to do following basketball. Now, volleyball is something we want to do and we want to do well."

If all goes well in Wilson's rookie season at the helm, comparisons to Switzer could continue.

LENGTH: Medium:   67 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  GENE DALTON/Staff. Floyd County High School volleyball 
          coach Annette Wilson: "The district is pretty even from top to 
          bottom.... We know we have to
          continue to play well.  We can't take anything for granted...." 
          color.