Bright and early at 7:30 AM, you can hear the squeaking of tennis shoes on the gym floor, the thunderous thwack of a hand slamming against a volleyball and see bodies flying to and fro. The varsity and JV volleyball teams practice 3 mornings a week. However, they aren’t just a team, they’re a family. The atmosphere surrounding the volleyball team is so tight-knit and encouraging, it is no surprise they have such good communication on the court.

“I think coming off of last year’s season really motivated us to come together and work hard,” varsity member junior Payton Cabrera said.

The varsity practice starts off with a group huddle, in which the coach offers encouraging words, telling the players to represent themselves, the team, and the school well. They transition into with various drills to practice their technique and accuracy; it’s clear pretty quickly that these girls have a laser focus about them which helps their practice move smoothly and efficiently. While the JV team starts off practicing bump, set and spike routines, they too have that same focus.

A big part of volleyball is being vocal in order to communicate with your team and also not being afraid to go for the ball. The members of both teams are definitely not afraid, even if it means diving to the ground. Practice is filled with encouraging shouts, pats on the back and high fives.

However, despite the fact that both teams are composed of talented and capable members, what is really impressive is the relationship the team members have with each other.

“Over the summer during conditioning we really got to know each other,” JV member Jasmine Kim said. “We suffer together.”

During practice, one of the players had an asthma attack and everyone sprang into action; one person went to get her inhaler, another got water and everyone in the gym stopped what they were doing and didn’t resume activity until the player felt better. Everybody in the gym expressed genuine concern that only further exemplifies the familial atmosphere that surrounds both of the teams. This closeness translates into their playing. When they practice, it is evident that each girl is confident and comfortable when playing with her teammates, which makes for fewer mistakes.

It’s obvious that there are high expectations when practicing and playing, but the members of both JV and varsity don’t let this bog them down. Varsity is 13-11 and JV is 7-2.

“It gives you a greater purpose when you’re working toward your goals,” Cabrera said.

Want to know more about the team? http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/?u=PESHVB&s=htosports