Bulldogs learn new system

Ruben Nieves' coaching style is different than what the returnees are used to

By Maggie Thach

The Collegian

At the beginning of the season, new head volleyball coach Ruben Nieves asked his players for three things the team could count on them for. Nobody wrote how they could be counted on for kills, blocks or sets. Instead, the players said they would give 100 percent everyday, maintain their passion for volleyball and be a team player. Nieves was very pleased.

“This is the kind of goal they have 100 percent control of,” Nieves said. “They can’t control if they have 10 kills in one match or is an all-American. If we can accomplish these goals, those are the kinds of things that leads to championships.”

A championship may be hard to come by with eight new players on the roster and the team having to learn a new system.

Under former coach Lindy Vivas, practices were loud and in-your-face; a go-go-go kind of attitude. With Nieves, there is no screaming and his demeanor is calm.

But, Nieves said his calm demeanor shouldn’t be confused with lack of intensity. He calls his attitude in the gym ‘business-like’ and focused. The kind of coaching style he has doesn’t allow him to be a yeller.

“I’m a double-goal coach. The first goal is to win. The second goal is to utilize the sports experience to help prepare athletes for life beyond sports,” Nieves said. “A double-goal coach doesn’t resort to yelling and screaming to get the message across.”

Nieves’ calm coaching style was a drastic change for the players from last year’s team.

“It was really tough,” said Briana Rempel, one of three seniors on the team. “You come in anticipating and finishing your career in a certain style. Overall, coach Nieves is just laid-back and that helps the freshmen.”

After Lindy Vivas was let go as the head coach, some players left the program, leaving few returning players with extensive game experience. Robyn Keune, a senior setter, decided to finish her career as a Bulldog.

“I had invested so much time into school, it was going to be difficult to change after all that,” Keune said. “I love Fresno. I’m loyal to Fresno State. And it’s volleyball. I’m going to want to play no matter where it is.”

So when the 10 returnees decided they were going to stay, the next step was to try to get adjusted to Nieves’ different style of coaching.

When spring practice started last year, sophomore setter Ilima Sam Fong had a difficult time dealing with the lack of yelling and screaming.

“He’s a lot different than what I’m used to,” said Sam Fong. “I’m used to coaches getting in your face if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to. With him it’s subtle. Being here in the spring, we got a better feel for him but we’re all trying to get on the same page.”

Nieves knows the team isn’t quite there yet. He says, in a way, everybody is new. Everybody has to get used to a new coach. Freshmen come prepared for that change but the transition was harder for the upperclassmen because they had to forget an old system and learn a completely opposite one.

“In some ways, you feel like a freshman again,” Rempel said. “It’s almost in a way, more adjustment for the returnees than the freshmen.”

But like Keune, Rempel wanted to finish her career at Fresno State because of academics and also like Keune, she’s going to try to make the best of it.

All the returnees will be looked to for leadership and all they want to do is improve and maybe finish in a higher position than eighth place as predicted by the Western Athletic Conference preseason poll.

“I hope we can surprise some people,” Sam Fong said. “If we keep progressing, we can be better than people think.”

And if not, Nieves will still be pleased because the players have the right mindset to build a foundation for a championship team one day.

“They’re in an environment where the opportunity is there to motivate themselves and be a self-starter. Without that, I think we’ve already lost the battle. The best thing someone said was ‘I won’t give up.’ That says a lot. I want everybody to live up to what they say they would.”