Athlete of the Week: Nicole Wittmer

Sarasota Christian senior middle hitter Nicole Wittmer has played volleyball since she was in seventh grade, and she hopes to continue to play at the college level. This week, she took a few minutes to tell the Sarasota Observer about her plans for the season, her strengths as a player and how she gets pumped up for games.

What do you think is your strongest point as a player?
I’ve been focusing a lot on placing the ball on the other side of the floor and putting it exactly where I want to hit it.

What do you think you struggle with most?
I’m not a primary passer. I think my back row is a lot weaker than my front.

How do you think your team played in your last game?
We won, but it wasn’t our best game. I don’t think we were as pumped up as we were for the game before; we were more nervous, because it was a rivalry game. In Thursday’s game, I think the key was a lot of good placement and going strong. We also played a lot smarter.

What would you say is the strong point of your team?
I would say moving as a team. We all move well together to wherever the ball is going.

What is the team focused on most this year?
A lot of times, what keeps us alive is our defense. We’re getting stronger at hitting the ball, but we’re not a very tall team. I’m one of the tallest girls, and I’m 5 feet, 8 inches. We play a lot of bigger girls, and our defense is what helps keep us up.

What’s the best sports advice you’ve ever received?
My dad always tells me to be aggressive, especially at the net. I play basketball, too, and he says the same thing. When I keep that in mind, I feel like I definitely play better.

You mentioned the team wasn’t as pumped up during last night’s game. How do you overcome that?
I think it just depends on the mood you’re in. The most important thing is to keep each other pumped up. If one person gets down, it can bring the team down, so everyone has to help each other.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?
We always pray before games and do our cheer.