Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
New Wright State volleyball coach Travers Green knew his players would need time to adapt to him and his staff — especially with how attached they were to previous coach Allie Matters — and he tried to be patient and understanding through the process.
But he also didn’t want to coddle them. Green planned to install a new system, and the Raiders and their all-star returning core had to get on board quickly in order to make it work.
“I was very clear when I first got here: I’m different. I’m going to be who I am,” he said. “Anytime there’s a coaching change, change comes with it, too. We tried to be mindful of that and not change too much. But at the same time, we want to coach the way we coach, and there are certain things that are different.”
Green, who was the top assistant at Mississippi State for four years, believes in a fast tempo and putting pressure on opponents, compressing the time between receiving the ball and sending it back over the net.
The Raiders, who made the program’s first two NCAA trips in the last three seasons, would never be considered plodders, but they’ve made an effort to pick up the pace through their 2-0 start. The Raiders beat Evansville and Marshall in the Marshall Invitational.
“The players worked a little on that tempo stuff in the summer, and you could tell it when we got together (for preseason practice),” Green said. “I feel good about where we are with it. Anytime there’s something new, there’s some bumps in the road. But we’re getting there.”
