In a season of ups and downs, junior setter Anna Zwiebel has stepped into any role that her team has for her.
“I am always ready to do what the team needs me to do,” Zwiebel said. “My original position is setter, but if they need me at back row, I will do it.”
The Tigers (9-14, 4-8 Southeastern Conference) have had an upsetting season with glimpses of greatness. From outside hitter Taylor Bannister to defensive specialist Raigen Cianciulli, the team possesses young talent but has not found the formula to make it work.
In the middle of the season, coach Fran Flory shuffled the lineup and plugged in Zwiebel as the starting setter, who has played extremely well.
“I am getting good passes from the back row,” Zwiebel said. “When we are all together, things flow, and we need to continue to do that.”
In addition to putting up consistent double-double numbers, she was a main contributor in the win against Georgia.
Even after that SEC win, the Tigers have not put it together and often look deflated in the later sets. Zwiebel looks for confidence from a number of areas to combat the negativity.
“I think the leadership changes from game to game,” Zwiebel said. “We have all had turns being that glue and holding the team together at different times.”
Being the glue for a struggling team can lead to locker room arguments and lack of play on the court, yet the Tigers have shown chemistry and a lack of discontent.
Zwiebel believes that the tenacity is still there and the team is never going to quit.
“We all want the team to win,” Zwiebel said. “We are all working toward the same goal and taking it one point at a time.”
She also said that Flory has fed the team a constant message throughout the season.
“She always tells us that we are right there,” Zwiebel said. “I think it’s the confidence. We are a good team, but we need to pull it together and keep our standards high.”
Going forward into the last eight games of the season, keeping the players’ heads high is the main importance and goes back to the constant word of tenacity.
“I am excited for our upcoming matches,” Zwiebel said. “And if we play with confidence, we can beat anyone.”