By Brandon Bean
Sports Writer
There’s a saying in volleyball that goes “Bump, set, spike,” but for senior volleyball star Courtney Oliver, it’s more fitting to say, “Bump, set, dominate.”
Because that’s what she does.
Oliver made the move to join the Blue Jays this past summer after playing for rival team Southfield-Lathrup High School. Switching from one team to another can be a difficult task to handle, but Oliver said she didn’t find it difficult at all. “I knew I had made the right decision from the beginning,” she said. “The dedication I saw in my team so early in the season let me know I was surrounded by a good group of people who could make me a better player.”
The Blue Jays had practices twice a day during summer vacation which lasted for as long as five hours, and Oliver was in attendance for every one of those practices. “I had been in the field house before, but when I first stepped on the court for practice as a Blue Jay, I knew I was home,” she said.
Oliver has been dominating opponents on the court for years. The individual training she went through during off-seasons has set her above average players. She is one of the leading blockers in the entire OAA division. “I love blocking,” Oliver said, “It’s one of the biggest parts of my game, and I take pride in it. There’s no better feeling than sending your opponent’s spike back into their own face.”
Fellow teammate and senior Autumn Bell says Oliver brings intensity every time she plays. “Whenever I look in her eyes,” Bell said, “I can almost see fire burning. I actually feel sorry for the other team when she hits the ball. That’s how hard it is to play against her. When I see the other team struggle to return her hits, it makes me glad we are on the same side.”
Her former Lathrup teammates have seen firsthand the difficulty of playing against the blocking powerhouse. Senior Aliyah Smith, middle for Southfield-Lathrup’s volleyball team, said she misses playing with Oliver. “I see her outside of volleyball, but playing against her wasn’t the same,” Smith said, “I wish Lathrup had won so we could have bragging rights.”
Oliver is a versatile player who can handle any position asked of her, said Bell. Typically dominating the entire front row, where her blocking skills are most useful, Oliver also plays middle, outside hitter and right side. “I’ll do whatever the coach asks me to do to help my team, even if that means standing on the sideline and passing out water to my teammates,” said Oliver.
Head coach Dana Cooper attests to Oliver’s winning attitude, powerful skills and reputation as a true team-player. “I’m glad we have (Oliver) with us. She’s a strong and skilled individual who can lead on and off the court,” said Cooper, “Just when I think there is no possible way she can get better, she wows me by bringing something else to the team.”
Despite once being a part of a rival school, Oliver quickly gained the respect of her other coaches and teammates. Team Captain and senior Cassadine Reed said, “Even when things are down, she knows how to keep her composure and carry the team on her shoulders. She definitely brings the team up.”
A huge motivating factor for Oliver’s switch to the Blue Jays was their team record. The Blue Jays have won four straight district championships in a row, and being the competitor that she is, Oliver wanted to try to compete to win a championship of her own. “That school on Twelve Mile wasn’t really used to winning,” said Oliver, “I understand that winning isn’t everything, but it’s way better than losing.”
For the Blue Jays Volleyball team, winning can become a whole lot easier with this dominating force leading the way.