Poole Named Lady Sharks Captain
Determination, passion, vision, and communication are all valuable qualities for a team captain. Miami Dade College volleyball coach, Origenes Benoit has found one of those players among his squad — outside hitter sophomore Martha Poole.
Benoit made the decision to name Poole the team captain based on her abilities on the court and the type of player she is.
“[Poole] is very disciplined, and she works very hard,” Benoit said. “She knows the game well and will be playing a lot.”
Benoit said that he looked for a responsible trustworthy player who will maintain a positive attitude and respects everyone.
As team captain, the sophomore from St. Louis, Mo. is responsible for talking to teammates, scheduling team meetings, ensuring everyone attends study hall and performs well in school, coordinates the jerseys for different games, and runs the game from the inside. Poole understands that as team captain, she is the facilitator of the team and must press on despite her errors.
“I can’t be mad at myself when I make a bad play, I need to be determined to keep going,” Poole said.
As team captain, Poole said that she will emphasize the importance of teamwork this year so the Lady Sharks can maximize their results.
“If everyone works together as one, we will accomplish more,” Poole said.
STARTING OFF ON RIGHT FOOT
The Lady Sharks started off their regular season strong defeating Southern Conference foe Broward College 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, and 25-18) on Sept. 4 at Kendall Campus. Freshman outside hitter Wendy Romero totaled 15 kills, seven digs, two blocks, and one ace in the Lady Sharks’ win over the Seahawks. Poole also contributed with 21 assists, and six digs. Although the Lady Sharks (1-0, 1-0) beat their cross county rival, both Poole and Benoit noticed that there is still room for improvement for the rest of season.
“It’s still the beginning, and we have a long road ahead of us, but we will keep improving and getting better,” Benoit said.
Poole is confident in her team, and knows that this team has what it takes to become champions.
“We have a lot of potential, and if we keep working hard, we will go far,” Poole said.
WORKING OUT THE KINKS
The Sharks played two scrimmage games prior to the regular season and ended with a 1-1 preseason record. In their first scrimmage, they played Barry University in Miami Shores and lost 2-1.
“We were trying different lineups to see what worked best,” Benoit said.
In their second scrimmage against Broward College, the Sharks found a lineup that clicked, beating the Seahawks 3-0. Benoit noticed that the team had to work on their communication.
“We are a brand new team with new players, so we had a lack of communication during the game,” Benoit said.
During the game, outside hitter Kayla Dowdell suffered a knee injury when she landed from after an attack. Dowdell said Doctors believe that the sophomore may have injured her ACL but are uncertain until she completes an MRI on Sept. 5.
