POWERFUL MEDLIN A FORCE AT THE NET FOR SURGING LADY BEARS

With her size and ability to play at the net, it seems natural for Northside senior Nicole Medlin to compile kills in bunches. While she has been able to do that since her sophomore season with the Lady Bears, Medlin has also learned to really perfect her style and be able to anticipate more when her teammates will set her up with the ball so she can throw it down. “I’ve been getting a lot more attacks than I’ve had before, getting a lot more attempts and with having more attempts, I’ve been getting more kills,” Medlin said. “Everything on our team has really like tightened up and we’re all working together, so it’s been really helping me out with helping me succeed.” The 6-foot middle blocker/right-side hitter has also been able to anticipate more whenever opponents are delivering kills so she can be in position to block those. “In practice, we’ve been doing lots of blocking drills, so I’ve gotten a lot better at that, which is great because I’m atop the leader board I believe as far as in the conference at that, and also with my hitting percentage,” Medlin said. Medlin leads Northside in both kills (73) and in blocks (34). Last Tuesday, in a win against Little Rock Central, she finished with 18 kills and had six blocks. On Thursday, Medlin had another big game as the Lady Bears survived a five-set 6A-Central road win at Mount St. Mary, which improved Northside to 3-0 in conference play. “She has really come into her own,” Northside coach Matt Waack said. “I challenged her a little over a week ago to really just elevate her game. ... This past week, she has done that in these conference matches and I feel like she’s going as hard as she can and giving us all she’s got. “She’s not only added power and strength to her game, she’s added the finesse and the smart ability to play at the net when the swing’s not open. She’s figured out when to tip and how to tip and how to be able to score in multiple ways, which just makes her a really dynamic volleyball player for us.” Since arriving to Northside prior to her sophomore season after transferring from Mena, Medlin had 177 kills and 67 blocks in 2017. Then as a junior last season, she had 313 kills and 89 blocks. Medlin has been able to refine her style and has gotten more stronger in the off-season, which has helped her become more dominant at the net. “I would say I was a little bit more crazy my sophomore season; I had kind of been really sporadic,” she said. “Then my junior year, I started to be a little bit more smart and then now, I’ve been working out a lot more with cross-fit, and that’s really helped me with gaining more muscle in my shoulders and being able to just hit that ball down. “I can see it in my shoulders and when I’m watching film, I can see it in my play, too.” At the same time, Medlin admits her strong start to her senior season is taking her by surprise. “I did not know I could do that until this season,” she said. “I thought my numbers were going to stay the same, but some games I can hit like a .727, which is insane for me at least. “It’s also been really nice having a team that’s been supporting me.” Waack has noticed the change from the first time he saw Medlin play to right now. “You could definitely tell at first she was an athlete,” Waack said. “She was kind of quiet at first, and then as she got through a year, she had a little bit of work to do to grow into the type of athlete that she wanted to be. “Once she bought in to the system we run and the off-season program, then she stepped it up on her own as well in the weight room. ... Then of course, she plays club, so it’s really been fun to watch her grow. She’s a totally different animal as a senior than she was as a sophomore. Medlin actually hasn’t been playing volleyball for very long, having picked it up as a sixth-grade student. “I believe in sixth grade, we were just playing around, passing the ball in (physical education class), and then I randomly started playing seventh grade because there was nothing else to do,” she said. “Then a year or two later, I got involved in travel sports and that’s when it became my thing I guess; I really fell in love with the game.” Not surprisingly, there’s one thing Medlin really loves about playing volleyball. “Hitting the ball,” she said. “I also really like the atmosphere; everyone is supporting each other.” Waack said Medlin is also doing her part in helping a talented sophomore class learn the ropes as Lady Bear players. “I really just want her to stay the course and help bring these sophomores along,” Waack said. “She leads by example for sure, but I also need her to lead them in the right direction and help them grow.” Medlin, who has verbally committed to play at UAFS, has another goal in mind. As one of 10 seniors, she has never experienced a state tournament win and the Lady Bears are also seeking their first conference title in 13 years. “I don’t know if it’s now or never, but I definitely think we’ve got a good chance this year,” Medlin said. “It should be really fun, seeing what we can do.” The Lady Bears (6-4 overall) return home on Tuesday for a big conference match against defending 6A state champion Conway.

POWERFUL MEDLIN A FORCE AT THE NET FOR SURGING LADY BEARS

BUCK RINGGOLD

Times Record | 9/15/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Jamie Mitchell