SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis volleyball team recorded a straight-set victory over Sheldon Tuesday night as freshman JJ Smith had a second consecutive impressive hitting night for the Troubadours.

“It was fun to see the kids do somethings they do not normally get to do in games,” said Head Coach Alynn Wright. “They got to share a lot of court time and that helps build team comradery. It was fun.”

One of the players having fun was Smith, who recorded seven kills while hitting over .200 for the second consecutive game.

“She has gotten better because she is constantly working hard to get better,” said Wright. “Sometimes she is a little too hard on herself to perform and puts too much pressure on herself. She is starting to loosen up and take some of the pressure off.”

Smith, who is from Elverta, has recorded five or more kills in seven straight games, including a season-high 15 against Elk Grove in a loss on the road last week. She has started the adjustment to hitting on the outside for the first time.

“Hitting on the outside is starting to feel more comfortable for her,” said Wright. “She has always hit from the middle. The timing and everything is different.”

Smith, whose hobbies include singing, drawing, hunting, archery and photography, is excited to have made the varsity team in her first season at St. Francis.

“It means a lot,” said Smith. “I practiced really hard to try to make it on any team. JV or freshmen would have been great. But being on varsity has been a really big deal.”

Smith is working to harness her power at the net. The coaches recently recorded her swing at 53 miles per hour.  Wright uses the Friday afternoon sessions with a radar gun to work on fundamentals with a fun twist.

“I have always been competitive on that, getting it as hard as I can while trying to keep it in,” said Smith.

Smith, who wants to add the back row to her playing credentials, gives her coaches for quick improvement over the first month of the season.

“I felt like I have gotten a lot better,” said Smith. “Being able to talk 1-on-1 with them is also helpful, learning what I need to do to do better. It is really helpful to feel I have someone there.”

Smith played some back row in the 25-8, 25-11, 25-17 win over the Huskies.

“I was really scared,” said Smith. “I have played back row a couple of times. It is scary. I don’t want to mess up or for it to be my fault. I put it all on myself.”

For now, she will continue to work on her hitting percentage and helping the program keep up the winning. St. Francis takes on Franklin an important match on Thursday night against the 4-0 Wildcats. The Junior Varsity and Varsity contests will be steamed live on Troubie TV.