ARLINGTON — Under the coaching of Whitney Williams the last three seasons, the Arlington volleyball program has improved considerably.

Arlington made appearances in the 3A state playoffs its last two seasons and are likely to make it this year as they are undefeated in North Wesco league play.

Much of the team’s success is due to the consistent play of outside hitter senior Morgan Van Laar, her coach said.

Van Laar was described as the “unsung hero” last season that would rather humbly go unseen, but her stats tell a different tale. She leads the team with 118 kills and is second in digs with 147.

Van Laar has committed to only playing volleyball for Arlington and appreciates its uniqueness compared with other sports. Her focus and hard work has paid off.

“I love the competition and playing for points instead of time,” Van Laar said.

Van Laar said her best attribute is “calmness on the court.” Williams agrees.

“What really sets her apart from the rest is her consistency,” Williams said. “She consistently does the right thing at the right time. It’s rare for her to make errors. Her teammates trust her, and that’s a huge part of what makes this team work.”

Van Laar wants to help lead her team to a state title and personally end the season with 200 kills.

She has become mentally tougher this season, which has helped her game, her coach said. Her only blemish has been her fear of making mistakes.

“She doesn’t like to fail,” Williams said. “Sometimes she likes to play it safe.”

She doesn’t fail often, though, as she has a 94.4 serve-in percentage, Williams said.

“The bigger the risk, the bigger the success,” she added.

It comes down to strong fundamentals that plays into her precision and ball placement on the court.

“I focus on the fundamentals and not exactly what’s happening in a play — one thing at a time,” she said.

It’s the main thing Williams has pounded into Van Laar.

“‘If I can control myself fundamentally, I can be consistent,'” Williams said.

Van Laar isn’t too optimistic about receiving an athletic scholarship for volleyball, but she would still like to continue it when she goes off to college. Part of the problem has been getting exposure as Arlington’s volleyball program has only had recent success compared with other schools, Williams said.

The success of this season, however, is “going to urge her to pursue it,” she said.