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12/06/2018 11:00 PMAlena Crosby recently finished up an impressive first season as a member of Valley Regional’s varsity volleyball team. In just her second year playing the sport, Alena held down the setter position with a steady hand for the Warriors. The sophomore totaled 397 assists to go with 74 digs after switching from the hitter’s position she played with the JV team last year. Alena also plays shooting guard for the Valley girls’ basketball squad.
“I’m most proud of my improvement as a volleyball player. When I first started, I didn’t know what I was doing,” Alena says. “My first game I was very nervous, but by the end of the season, I was super excited for every game.”
Alena gravitated toward hitting when she started playing volleyball. Eventually, though, her skills as a setter began shining through at practice. During one of Valley’s preseason workouts, Head Coach Kathy Scott saw that Alena had tremendous potential in the setter’s role. Scott told the sophomore that she could be a solid player at that position.
“Coach Scott noticed me as a setter and steered me toward that role, and I’m glad she did,” says Alena, a Deep River resident. “I started out as one of the hitters. Coach pulled me over during one of our practices, and she asked me to go to a varsity practice. That was my first time as a setter.”
Effective setting requires quick decision-making skills, as well as the ability to read both teammates and opponents simultaneously. Alena needs to see how the ball is approaching her off a dig from a teammate, so she can anticipate where to receive it for the set. After that, she has to determine the optimal spot to place the ball for one of the Warriors’ hitters to score a kill.
“I try to see how my passers’ hands are positioned, and then I run to the ball and get my footwork down,” says Alena, who also had 23 aces this year. “Where I set it depends on where I am on the court and if the opponent has a tall person that can block it. A lot of it depends on the angle of where I am, too.”
Alena enjoyed her time on the varsity court and says she received a warm welcome from her fellow Warriors. With a full year of experience under her belt, Alena is looking forward to taking on that same role next season by helping Valley’s underclass athletes get acclimated to playing high-school volleyball.
“The whole team ended up being really nice, and the captains would talk to me whenever I was alone and help me through a lot of the drills,” Alena says. “Next year, I would love to act as a role model and try bring everyone up the way they did for me.”
Coach Scott believes that Alena is on the fast track toward realizing her potential as a setter. Scott says that Alena not only has plenty of natural ability, but is also constantly working on her game. Alena’s work ethic helped her win the Warriors’ Most Inspirational Award this year.
“I think that Alena did great this season. Our success as a team is connected to her play. She can take a tough pass and make it a hittable ball. She anticipates, sees well, and moves well. She’s quick. She blew us away in terms of movement and having really good setting hands,” says Scott. “Alena would go home and just set and set and set, so she was ready for games. She was voted Most Inspirational by her teammates because she’s always positive, working hard, and encouraging other people. She just wants to keep learning. She wants to grow and push into other things. We are so fortunate to have her.”
With the fall season complete, Alena is getting ready to run the floor for the Valley girls’ basketball team this winter. Alena has been playing basketball since elementary school. Last year, she saw a good deal of playing time for the Warriors by getting into 19 games as a freshman. During the offseason, Alena worked on expanding her offensive skillset in preparation for her sophomore campaign.
“I’ve worked on my shooting form for a really long time. I’m trying to get my dribble a little better, so I create more opportunities for my teammates,” she says. “If we’re all working hard, putting in all of our effort, and moving the ball really well, then we’ll be meshing as a team, and that should be a big help.”
With several seasons still ahead of her, Alena is focused on helping Valley’s volleyball and basketball squads see as much success as possible. Alena plans on playing a heavy hand in that success and wants to continue improving on both courts with the Warriors.
“I just want to do the best I can and help the teams having winning seasons,” says Alena. “I want everyone to have fun, and I just want to be the best that I can be.”