One of the key reasons for the early season success of Oregon’s volleyball team is middle blocker Ariana Williams. A sophomore from Riverside, Calif., Williams leads the Ducks in hitting percentage and is third on the team in kills.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205180435&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
Last weekend, Williams played well in a split with Washington, notching double-digit kills in both games and leading the Ducks with a .556 hitting percentage against the No. 3 Huskies.@@http://www.pac-12.org/Portals/7/images/wvolleyball/2011-Stats/HTML/CONFONLY.HTM@@
The Oregon Daily Emerald caught up with Williams after a recent Duck practice to discuss her improved play, her decision to attend the University and the campus environment
ODE: Talk about your play last weekend — you were able to hit .556 and had a team-high of 13 kills against a really good Washington team.
AW: Basically we already knew what we had to do. We had our set plays when we played them and I literally did what our coach told us to do. He told us that they leave the line open and where to hit. Basically that’s all I did, go behind the setter the entire time. It was open every single time.
This whole season you’ve been pretty successful and efficient offensively. Is that a result of just following the game plan or is there more to it?
It’s mostly following the game plan and when we’re scouting, you see what people leave you, so when we scout or when I’m watching the film before they’re blocking on the other side and before the other setter sets it, I pause it to see what’s open.
Everybody has access to the game plan, but you seem to be able to execute it a little bit more efficiently. How do you think you’ve improved this season?
I’ve improved a lot from last year to this year with just a lot of hard work. I really don’t know how to explain it. I just can see it, I guess.
In what areas have you seen that improvement?
I’ve improved a lot on hitting. Seeing what’s open and even if it’s not a good set keeping the ball in and making a good play.
What areas do you want to improve upon as the year progresses?
I just have to improve blocking. It kills me, but I have to get better at it and focus more on it.
As a middle blocker, would you describe yourself as a bit more offensively oriented right now and wanting to become a bit more complete?
I want to be both. More defensive instead of offensive. I know I have hitting, but I want to be better at blocking and I feel like when I’m better at blocking, I won’t put so much pressure on myself to hit, because I’m like, ‘I can’t block, so I have to hit.’
Changing gears, how did you wind up here from Southern California originally?
My mom always said I should go to Oregon and I was like, ‘no way I would never go to Oregon.’ Then I came up for my visit and I loved it. I like the change, like the seasons and it’s not hot all the time. It rains a lot, but it’s different.
What are some of your favorite things to do around here, some of your favorite parts to living in Eugene?
I like the college town, how you can just walk around and everybody is outside and how everybody is friendly. I enjoy the people and the friends I’ve made out here and how it’s more outdoorsy. I’m not really outdoorsy, but I’ve kind of been outside more that I’ve been here.
What’s your favorite destination around town?
The only thing that I really do out here that’s going somewhere is going to the movies. I like the dollar theater and out here the movies are really cheap compared to California, like six dollars compared to 11 dollars per movie.
If you had to change one thing about the town or university or experience up here what would that be?
Nothing right now for me at all.