Technical Advantage

Standing just to the right of the net, Sarasota High volleyball coach Chad Sutton looks on, monitoring his players’ every move. 

With his front-row players lined up, Sutton glances down at the iPad in his hand. 

Junior outside hitter Hannah Hritz races up to the net, leaps and sends the ball crashing back down over the net. 

With the jump, a series of sensors are emitted from a tiny device attached to Hritz’s shorts, calculating the height of the 5-foot-8 hitter’s jump and sending the data to Sutton’s iPad. 

Sutton stores the data in his Vert Coach application — the height of Hritz’s last jump, the height of her best jump, the average height of her jumps and, most important, how many jumps she has completed. 

Sutton began using the Vert Coach technology this season to improve player performance. And thanks to his strength and conditioning background, Sutton spends a lot of time working with his players to jump higher. 

“It’s a huge accountability tool,” Sutton says. “If you know what to do with it, it can be very useful.” 

Only Sarasota’s varsity first-row players, specifically hitters and blockers, use the Vert Coach technology. The Lady Sailors use the devices during practice sessions and in the weight room to monitor box jumps or other workout regimens. 

“When they know they are being monitored, it shows,” Sutton says. “It makes a difference. Kids are competing for positions, and this can determine who starts and who sits.” 

Sutton uses the data to put each of his players in a position to be successful. 

The only time the players cannot be monitored is during an actual match. But the players have seen an increase in their individual performances since they began utilizing the technology. 

“I was shocked that it measured how high I jump, but it’s been fun to see,” says Hritz, who was averaging between 27 and 28 inches per jump with a personal best of 31 inches. “I knew I could jump high, but I’ve learned that I jump even higher than I thought. I can jump over 30 inches. I didn’t know I could jump that high. It’s really cool.” 

Sophomore teammate Imani Jones, who just started playing volleyball four months ago, agrees. 

“When I first put it on, my reaction was, ‘I don’t want to wear this because it’ll record whether I’m trying or not,’” Jones says. “But now I like it. It makes me work harder and holds me accountable.” 

Sutton also uses the technology to prevent injury. By keeping track of the total number of jumps, Sutton is able to judge, if and when, a player is tired or overworked. 

For Sutton, with only 11 players on the varsity roster, it’s imperative the Lady Sailors remain healthy throughout the two-month season. 

“We want to train hard and still be competitive, but we’re doing everything we can to stay safe,” Sutton says. 

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].