Columbia College’s winning streak grows

During the Columbia College volleyball team’s 16-game winning streak, Yi Zhang has emerged as a solid hitter and a lethal server.

Zhang’s serve keyed the No. 6 Cougars’ 30-11, 30-16, 30-7 win over MidAmerica Nazarene University on Monday at the Arena at Southwell Complex. With the win, the Cougars improved to 25-3 and they have been 16-0 after losing to No. 9 Missouri Baptist on Sept. 9.

As a jump server, Zhang has improved because she hits down the line, Cougars coach Melinda Wrye-Washington said.

“It’s kind of routine to serve cross court or down the middle of the court when you’re a jump server,” Wrye-Washington said. We’ve taught her to swing down the line, so now everyone (opponents) is reaching away from the court.”

Zhang is adjusting to playing indoors because she played sand volleyball growing up in China.

Because sand volleyball was played two on two, the court was more open for Zhang to tip the ball as a hitter instead of taking a hard kill. “On sand, you don’t have to always be aggressive, you don’t have to really hit the ball, you can see a lot of spots,” Zhang said.

When Zhang is hitting, Wrye-Washington said Zhang needs to be more aggressive.

“You got to get yourself in a position to cream the ball first. You want to crush it,” Wrye-Washington said. “Once you get up there you want to get in a position where you can swing, tip or roll a shot, she was getting herself in a position where she could only do one.”

Wrye-Washington also said Zhang needs to realize that some shots that would work well in China will not indoors.

“On the beach every one of those (softer) shots she’s hitting is a kill,” Wrye-Washington said. “In China, that’s a spectacular play on the beach, indoors there’s somebody there picking it up every time. Even if she sees the open court and cuts it back there, by the time it lands, there’s somebody there to play it.”

Defensively, Wrye-Washington said Zhang is a step behind because she is used to the slower pace of sand volleyball.

“She’s watching the wrong thing,” Wrye-Washington said. “She’s playing the ball. She’s used to those little cut shots where the ball’s coming off differently and she’s not watching the hitter’s arms.”

Zhang’s improvement is showing, and Wrye-Washington said it is because she listens in practice.

“Right now, she has spells where she looks fantastic and she wasn’t doing that at the beginning of the season,” Wrye-Washington said. “I partner up with her in practice a lot and I’m driving her ... She’s very dedicated and coachable and I love that.”