With a record of 19-8, the varsity volleyball team asserts their dominance. For the first time in 15 years, the team expects to go to playoffs, as they compete with the number one standing in the district and top scorers across all categories. With the motivation from their coaches, they celebrate their first win at districts following Friday’s game.
“We drop a lot of energy [on the court], so I’m really excited about that,” head volleyball coach Sarah Perez said. “I’m excited about our potential. We start district on Friday and we have the potential to do really well.”
With a spark of energy, each teammate works together for the same goal. Their shared goal allows them to flourish on and off the court. The players wake up early every day to practice diligently to be prepared for the next district game this Tuesday. With practice starting at 7:00 a.m, the players come in ready to improve.
“I think that every win is putting it into our mind that we’re gonna dominate districts,” senior Sarah Parr said. “We’ve already beaten our winning record from last year.”
The team currently has a .68 winning record compared to a .56 record from last year. With districts starting on Friday, the players plan to set a precedent of dominance. Across the board, each player has their strong points as they work together to complement their weak points.
“Our success in the early season shows that we only lost seven games which is a big deal compared to last year,” junior Grace Mcdonald said. “This was our first year going to the UT Austin tournament. We did well compared to what other people thought, we ranked the best out of our whole district.”
Returning from their first major tournament at UT Austin two weeks ago, the team now preps for districts, hoping to win as many games early on as possible to set their standing in the playoffs. The team must score in the top four at districts in order to advance to playoffs; the win-loss record during regular season and district determines the playoff schedule.
“Every morning [when] they show up for practice, ready to work, [that] motivates me,” Perez said “ Every time that they ask questions, dig deeper and want to go further and get better, that motivates me to keep going.”
With role models on the team and players already committed to playing Division 1, an elite professional league in college, the players constantly improve their skills. As Division 1 scouts pick from the best of the best, they scout for the top scorers across all categories. Some will appear at districts, looking for the best players to promote their schools, offering them the opportunity to play for their college on a full athletic scholarship.
“Winning really drives a lot of them,” Perez said. “ We have a lot of really competitive people that want to see success. I think, then losing the games that we’ve lost, really encourages them to reflect and push themselves to be better so that we can continue to win.”
With districts starting and each player keeping a positive attitude, the team will go far as expected. Success comes with an immense amount of practice, tears, and sweat that not everyone pays attribute to. The players continue to work hard, despite their drawbacks.
“I watched one of their games last year; it was probably my first time watching women’s volleyball,” Ononye said. “I had straight goosebumps and I’m emotionally invested in the team. So when we do win or lose, I’m always invested in it.”
Competition is a great factor in a drive to shoot for success. Their fierceness as a team allows them to come together at games. Volleyball is known as a team sport, each working part adds to a different part of the game. If one part of the team isn’t on par with the other then the team will be less successful, but they still expect to push through.
“I’m really optimistic for what’s going to happen at districts,” Ononye said. “If we’re able to hang like the top teams and some of the most competitive tournaments, then, we’re going to go far.”
