It’s a confident, cohesive team that takes the floor for Talawanda High School volleyball matches this fall.

Despite a coaching change following a 22-3 season a year ago, Braves players bought into a new system and style of play and are led by a strong group of seniors.

The team continued an undefeated season this week beating Edgewood at home on Tuesday in three sets. That 25-8, 25-9, 25-11 win left the Braves undefeated at 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Southwest Ohio Conference. They beat a then-undefeated Little Miami squad at home on Sept. 6. Little Miami was a pesky opponent but fell to Talawanda in three sets 25-18, 25-16, 25-19.

In its eight victories, Talawanda has not lost a set in 2012.

Tammi Waite decided to step down as coach after last season to allow more time for her family and Ernie Gilbert was hired to coach the team early this year.

Gilbert said a coaching change after a highly successful season sometimes can make a team resist a new system because it’s comfortable in the old one, but he found strong allies in this year’s senior class.

Gilbert said senior Rachel Vidourek has been a true leader, supporting the new coaching staff and system and showing teammates her support.

“It can be hard to have them buy in and do what I want (as a new coach),” he said. “Rachel is quiet, but she’s a leader. She does it, right now. She does it and everybody buys in.”

Vidourek and fellow senior Laura DeWitt said it may not have been that dramatic. They agreed the team was willing to test the waters with the lead of the team’s seven seniors and everyone is having fun and again enjoying success. Vidourek said players decided to approach the new approach with an open mind and she said it works.

“It’s the same group of girls, for the most part,” Vidourek said, noting the loss of six seniors from the team of a year ago.

Both girls agreed that Gilbert’s system and confidence in the team has paid off during games.

“We have stepped up in situations because he talks about knowing what will work,” DeWitt said, adding that the coach stresses that “simple and smart is better and placement is important.”

Vidourek chimed in that they use a practice drill where they take shots at a line on the floor to practice placement of the ball where opponents are less likely to return it.

“We keep it going and make (opponents) work. That extends rallies,” DeWitt said, with Vidourek finishing her thought, “and be the pests for them.”

All the hard work has paid off during matches, both agreed, and both pointed to last week’s home SWOC match with Little Miami. Gilbert was not on the floor for that match but sat high in the bleachers because of a paperwork snafu following a complaint that his coaching paperwork was not complete, although not actually due until state tournament time.

“We were down a couple points in one set. (Coach) was gone and the team got together and said, ‘Take a deep breath.’ He likes the phrase, ‘Remember,’ repeating things he told us before, and we used that,” Vidourek said. “After the match, we were happy and proud. We all worked together. The blockers put up a solid front. The setters did great. Their Libero was everywhere but we did not give up.”

Vidourek and DeWitt both have made college commitments to play volleyball.

Vidourek committed to Marquette during her sophomore year while she was sitting out a season at Talawanda after transferring from Badin. She had been recruited on the basis of her club team play. The Marquette coach saw her in a tournament in Orlando, Fla. She made a campus visit and committed because she liked the team and the campus and they offered both academic programs she was interested in pursuing — physical therapy and physician’s assistant.

DeWitt committed this summer to Wittenberg University for the same reasons. She liked the campus and the academic program, which also included physical therapy, her interest. The Tigers are the defending NCAA national Division III champions.