From Nationals to College Ball: How Natalie Rebuilt Her Speed Mid-Season

Most athletes assume losing a step during the season is just part of competing. Natalie didn't.

Halfway through her club volleyball season, with nationals approaching, she noticed something wasn't right. Her movements weren't as sharp as they used to be, and she felt like she'd lost a step. As a libero, even a slight decrease in lateral quickness can make the difference between making a play and watching the ball hit the floor.

Instead of accepting it as part of the season, she came to Chadwicks with one goal: get her speed back.

The Myth of "You Can't Train In-Season"

One of the biggest misconceptions in sports performance training is that athletes should stop training once the season begins. Many assume that practices and games are enough, and that strength and speed work should wait until the off-season.

Coach Major sees it differently.

"A lot of athletes think that they can't train in season or even leading up to a postseason game. That's not the truth whatsoever, and Natalie definitely proved it out there," he said.

The key isn't stopping training. It's adjusting it.

Rather than chasing personal records in the weight room, Natalie's in-season training focused on the qualities she needed most on the volleyball court: lateral movement, reaction time, and explosive first-step speed. For a libero, volleyball speed and agility aren't optional. They're essential.

"I've been working on my lateral movements and my fast twitch muscles, and being able to grow that has helped me cover a lot more court and has improved my skill," Natalie said.

Those improvements showed up exactly where they mattered most: during nationals.

Her story is proof that the right volleyball strength training program can help athletes continue improving throughout the season instead of simply trying to maintain.

Preparing for the Next Level

When nationals ended, the goal changed.

Instead of focusing on in-season performance, Coach Major shifted Natalie's program toward preparing for college volleyball.

"As she's prepping for college, I look at what the college is going to require. One of our jobs here is to make sure that they're physically prepared for any challenge that they're going to have," Coach Major said.

That meant building the strength, power, and movement patterns she'd soon be expected to perform in a collegiate weight room.

One of those skills was learning the clean.

"I had never done a clean before, and so I wanted to learn how to do a clean because I knew that was something I'd have to be doing in college," Natalie said.

This is what individualized sports performance training looks like. The program evolves with the athlete. During the season, training supports performance. After the season, it prepares the athlete for what's next.

Hard Work Makes Progress Fun

Coach Major says Natalie was the type of athlete every coach enjoys working with.

"Natalie is the type of athlete that makes it easier on a coach because we have a ton of fun, but she's also here to work. When it's time to get serious, we got serious, and when it's time to cut up a little bit, we cut up. We had a great blend, a great balance of both of those, and it just truly made the session really, really great from beginning to end of every session."

Natalie felt the same way.

"Working out is fun, and I enjoy coming to Chadwicks."

That combination of hard work, trust, and enjoying the process is often what separates athletes who simply participate from athletes who continue to improve year after year.

The Takeaway

Too many athletes believe training ends when competition begins. In reality, the best athletes don't stop training. They train with greater intention.

Whether the goal is improving volleyball speed and agility during the season, preparing for college athletics, or building long-term athletic performance, the right program should evolve alongside the athlete's goals.

Natalie's journey shows what's possible when training is designed around the athlete, not just the calendar.

Watch Natalie's full story here:

If you're looking for individualized volleyball strength training or sports performance training in the Franklin and Nashville area, we'd love to help. Schedule an evaluation with Chadwicks Fitness & Performance and discover how intentional training can help you perform at your best, both in season and beyond.