By TIM TROWER
Volleyball coaches Sarah Costa of South Medford and Ron Beick of North Medford spoke briefly with a reporter about what it takes to build a successful program following their rivalry match Tuesday. Beick has been there with North — it finished third at state last year and is perennially a conference title contender. Costa wants to get there with South and realizes building a program that can compete with North won’t happen overnight.
The Black Tornado won 25-14, 25-14, 25-21 in the Southwest Conference match.
“Part of it is the preparation they do at a younger age,” Costa, in her first year with the Panthers, told reporter Mark Vinson. “My goal for us is getting the girls all year round to commit to the sport … I want to be able to have consistency throughout the program, from seventh-graders on up. They will know they need to attempt to play all year round, even if they have other sports.”
That’s been a cornerstone of Beick’s successful tenure at North.
“I’ve had a group of kids who are really devoted to volleyball, and that pays dividends when you get into the season,” he said. “Both schools have kids that play multiple sports, but their dedication in the long run has paid off.”
