Commitment, hard work puts Angie Smith at top of her game

Call her captain.

Angie Smith didn’t have her commission handed to her at the beginning of her senior volleyball season at East Valley. In fact, volleyball coach Jim Dorr did not have a team captain in mind when the squad began turnouts last month.

The fact that the senior hitter was voted by her peers to be the team’s captain is a testament to her commitment to making the Knights better each time they take the floor — be that in practice or in Greater Spokane League battle.

“That really makes me feel good,” Smith said. “Knowing that my teammates believe in me is special.”

“She’s earned it,” Dorr said. “Angie has really taken her game to the next level this season. She worked hard over the summer and has come in and worked hard every day.”

Smith is the primary scoring threat for the Knights through the first few weeks of the Greater Spokane League volleyball season, collecting double-digit kills almost automatically and posting a career-best 22 in a five-game loss to Central Valley earlier this week.

“I think I’m seeing the (scoring) opportunities better this year,” Smith said. “I think part of it is just having played a lot of volleyball and recognizing opportunities and reading blocks.

“Communication is key, and I think that’s something we’re doing very well as a team, and that helps.”

Dorr is succinct: Smith has thus far had the Knights on her back.

“The thing is,” Dorr said. “Angie knows she isn’t going to have to carry the load all season long. We have some young players who are picking their game up, too. Angie is going to have some help very soon.”

“It’s important for all of us to set a good example,” Smith said. “But I think our young players would be working hard on their own, even if no one was there to set an example. We have some great kids and they’ve been working really hard.”

The Knights had some close calls but have yet to earn a GSL victory — a situation that may wreak havoc on Dorr’s digestion but isn’t cause for grave concern in terms of season goals.

“We’re making progress,” Dorr said. “If we were still in Class 4A, we’d be out of it by now. But we’re Class 3A, and that means we have time. What’s important for us is to be playing our best in October, and we’re on track for that.

“Are we making good progress? Depends on who you ask. I would like to have had a few wins by now and we’ve come close to stealing a win here and there. But really, we’re on track.”

Smith, on the other hand, has found it difficult to shift gears.

“I’m still thinking in terms of being a Class 4A team, the way we have been,” she admitted. “The coach keeps talking about playing better in October, but I still want to go out there and win every game. Mentally, I treat each game the way I always have.”

Well, almost the same way.

Dorr tweaked his game plan a bit this season, shifting some of Smith’s responsibilities and freeing her up to attack.

“We’ve asked Angie to play a different role in the back row and that allows her to be more of a hitter out of the back row,” Dorr said. “I think she likes hitting. Teams aren’t going to be able to stop Angie.”

“I like hitting,” Smith said. “I like getting up in the air and beating the block.”

The senior had a frustrating season a year ago, and Smith channeled that frustration into a summer full of hard work — playing lots of club volleyball and attending several camps, including one at Washington State University.

“It really wasn’t a conscious decision to work that much harder this year,” she said. “I just wanted to play hard and enjoy playing this year.

“I want to play in college. I want to keep playing after this year.”

Smith has talked to a number of colleges and is willing to walk on at whatever school she determines offers the best fit.

“I’d like to play at Sacramento State,” she said. “But we’ll have to wait and see.”