Although a Sept. 9 game against Puget Sound College marks the beginning of Olympic College’s volleyball season, head coach Tobie Moore is still trying to find enough players to fill the roster.

Right now she has seven, but she wants nine by next Monday’s game.

In her three years leading the Rangers, Moore has often found herself in the same position — scrounging for a team.

“You get a lot of kids that will only play one season,” she said. Other kids drop out of school, kicking their playing eligibility out the door, Moore said.

This year, her team’s No. 1 weakness is their low turnout, she said.

Everyone on the court matters, so if anyone has a sub-par game, it will hurt the whole team.

“In baseball it doesn’t matter what the right fielder is doing all the time,” but volleyball teams are notorious for exploiting their opponent’s weakest link, she said.

“That’s just part of the beast,” Moore said.

Both Moore and her team agree the season will be mentally taxing and will require teamwork, not individual show boating.

As the team travels the community college circuit, from Everett to Tacoma, Moore expects some tough competition from two teams in particular — Whatcom and Shoreline.

This year, OC’s strength is the team’s level of play. Sometimes the players come in with no previous experience but this year much of the team has played in high school.

However, only one member from last year’s OC team returns.

That is Mallori Hudson, and everyone is counting on her for leadership and insight.

Hudson was a setter on last year’s team, which went 4-8 in the Northern Division of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges. Overall, the team was 6-8.

Hudson and the other players have been warming up for the new season since Aug. 23, practicing twice daily on form and fitness with Moore.

From what Moore has seen, she said anyone has the capacity to help Hudson lead the team this year.

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