FAYETTEVILLE — To become a more dominant force in the middle, Morgan Cosby wanted to jump higher — even if it was only an inch or two more.
She had already shown that she could play above the net, providing Fayetteville’s volleyball team with a strong wall of defense as a 5-foot-10 middle blocker.
Still, Cosby wanted to get her hands even higher.
To do so, she spent the summer leading up to her senior season working on improving her vertical jump. And now that she can reach 9 feet, 6 inches with her fingers, Cosby hopes to become a more stabilizing presence in the middle for the Lady Bulldogs.
“I’ve added like an inch and half (to my vertical),” said Cosby, who’s again penciled in as a starting middle blocker for Fayetteville.
Though still a few weeks away from an Aug. 26 season opener against Siloam Springs, Fayetteville coach Jessica Phelan believes defense could be her team’s biggest strength.
And since cracking the starting lineup midway through her sophomore season, Cosby has shown that she’s not easily rattled at the net, especially on defense. She’s a strong blocker who has developed into more of an offensive threat by learning to angle her shots.
It also doesn’t hurt that she can now jump higher.
“Volleyball as a sport, the higher you can play, the better. So one or two inches really can make the difference, especially in blocking between a touch-off or a stuff block,” Phelan said. “It’s also something that college coaches really look at.
“And so I know that (Cosby) has the goal of playing volleyball at the next level. So improving her vertical is really not only to help our team, but to help her reach that goal as an individual as well.”
When Cosby joined Fayetteville as a sophomore, she had a tendency of going straight at a blocker instead of trying to hit the ball to the left or right.
“I was just hitting straight on,” Cosby said, “and I couldn’t angle it either way.”
But the senior has learned to angle her shots, allowing her to become more of an offensive force at the net. She’s also brought energy and a fiery demeanor to the court.
Cosby admitted she loves the adrenaline rush that comes with spiking or blocking a shot. And while she’s still one of the quieter players for the Lady Bulldogs, she has been known to shout after a key play.
“She now just doesn’t go up and bang the ball. She’s a smarter hitter now as a seasoned senior,” Phelan said. “She will go up and hit around that block rather than just go up and swing.”
Cosby said she’s already received interest from several colleges. And while she’s still undecided on where she wants to go, she admitted she’d prefer to stay within a three-hour drive of Fayetteville.
In the meantime, the senior has provided a sense of leadership and knowledge to a Lady Bulldogs team that has experienced much change. A large crop of sophomores, along with a few transfer students, have joined the team.
For Cosby, though, her offseason goals were rather basic. She wanted to improve her game and simply jump higher.
“Really my blocks, they needed to get up there,” Cosby said. “And they have a lot more this summer.”
Profile
Morgan Cosby
SCHOOL: Fayetteville
POSITION: Middle blocker
HEIGHT: 5-foot-10
CLASS: Senior
NOTABLE: Cosby moved into Fayetteville’s starting lineup midway through her sophomore season, and she started every game last season as a junior. … She’s again penciled in as a starting middle blocker for the Lady Bulldogs.