SLIPPERY ROCK — Off the volleyball court, Slippery Rock High senior libero Amya Altman is mild-mannered and soft spoken.

She smiles and looks away shyly as she describes the bounce-back season the Rockets are enjoying.

But on the court, an animal inside Altman is unleashed.

“I'm kinda mean,” Altman says, smiling. “Well, I'm not mean. I just yell. A lot. I'll apologize after.”

Every team needs a player like Altman, a spark plug that gets her teammates fired up.

And there has been a lot to be fired up about for the Slippery Rock volleyball team this season.

Following some lean years, including a disappointing 3-15 campaign in 2016, the Rockets have nearly tripled their win total and are playing their best volleyball with the District 10 playoffs looming on the horizon.

It hasn't be easy. Three of Slippery Rock's wins have come in five-game thrillers, including a marathon 22-25, 25-22, 21-25, 25-23, 17-15 thriller over rival Grove City last week.

“That just lifted everyone's spirits up,” said junior setter Morgan Malinski. “It showed us we can play against them. They've been our rival forever. It was just amazing.”

No one has been more pleased to see the Rockets' gutsiness than second-year coach Danielle Busi.

Busi played for the Rockets from 2000-2003.

Her current crop of players, an eclectic group of upperclassmen, dynamic sophomores and promising freshmen, remind her a lot of the teams she played for.

When Busi, then Danielle Hogue, was a freshman, the Rockets won one game.

By her senior year, Slippery Rock was a force and went 18-0 during the regular season.

She hopes a similar path awaits this group of Rockets.

“I think I tell them about that a lot,” Busi said. “It's all about making process. Even if we lose to the same school twice, I look at the scores and how we played and see did we play better the second time? Did we fix the mistakes. I do a lot of that kind of analyzing.”

Busi said rarely has the team taken a step back this season.

“Last season was tough. It was tough for me. It was tough for them. It was a long season,” Busi said. “I think they may just have a little more trust in me. It's just getting to know them and having them know I'm here to make the program better. I just try to make the best decisions for the program.”

Altman is all aboard with Busi and she said the rest of her teammates are, too.

“She does a great job with our drills in practice and we all have a really good bond with her,” Altman said. “We've had a lot of coaches through the years. They all coach different. She's growing the system and I think this is our best coach yet. She knows what she's doing.”

Winning has certainly helped morale.

So has Malinski, who has taken on the role of quashing the naysayers.

“I'm a very positive person,” Malinski said. “When people would say before a match, 'Aw, we're gonna lose,' I'd snap back, 'No! No, we're not! Stop saying that!'”

Slippery Rock has also received big contributions this season for a crop of younger players like sophomore Annika Peale, who leads the team in kills, junior Madison Chechak and sophomore Taylor Balint.

“Last year, I think we had a lot of diversity as well with seniors playing with freshmen and sophomores and I think that's where some of the problems were,” Malinski said. “It was like, 'Oh, the freshmen and sophomores are in.' This year, we don't see each other as classes. We see each other as just players.”

Those players hope to make some noise in the playoffs and to keep improving.

“The region that we're in is just so tough,” Busi said. “But that's good. I think they are starting to believe.”