The RoundHouse | 10/2/2020 2:01:00 PM

 
 

 Listen to a podcast with volleyball assistant coach Sean Carter

 
Sophia Rohling is tough on herself, analytical about her statistics and admits to being a perfectionist.
 
She is happy she can lean on her Wichita State volleyball coaches, especially assistant Chelsea Scott, to talk her through the difficulties of the early stages of her career. 
 
"I tend to be inside my head a lot," Rohling said. "(Coaches) mainly tell me I'm doing well, because I have a tendency to think I'm doing way worse than what I am. They see it in a different perspective than I do."
 
As Thursday's scrimmage at Koch Arena demonstrated, the coaches' perspective on Rohling is correct – she is doing quite well. She hit .310 in four sets with 12 kills and seven digs. 
 
Rohling, a sophomore right-side hitter from Thayer, played in 24 matches as a freshman and hit .149. She contributed with her height (6-foot-3) and arm strength. To improve, she needed to add to her variety of swings and handle blocking schemes.
 
Coaches turned to several drills, including one using red football tackling dummies, to help Rohling see how to hit over and through blockers.
 
"It's the drill that helped make (former Shockers) Katie Reilly and Katy Dudzinski)," assistant coach Sean Carter said.
 
On Thursday, coach Chris Lamb watched Rohling show good range, scoring down the line, off blocks and across the court during the scrimmage. 
 
"She hits hard with more range, just better around the block, with the block," Lamb said. "We're getting her more aggressive inside and covering more space."
 
Rohling can feel the improvement in her attack selection and her vision of the court, in between the moments of self-criticism. 
 
"There are situations you just need to get in the gym and practice to see," she said. "Once you start practicing it, it becomes so much better. I am way more relaxed. I am looking at my shots better and I am so thankful for my coaches having patience with me, seeing what I can do, and believing in me when I don't believe in myself."
 
Thursday was Wichita State's second public scrimmage with a third scheduled for Oct. 16 (6 p.m.)
 
Lamb welcomes the chance to break up the monotony of practice and give fans something to watch. 
 
"I get a lot emails and do some Zooms with boosters," he said. "They ask a lot of great questions and I tell them what we're doing. I have fun with that."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.