By Hannah Chadwick

The ball is coming at you. You get ready and then… Bam! The ball goes flying over the net! Exciting right? The volleyball players sure think so. This year’s team is cleared to play and have games starting soon. With a combination of high hopes for the season, faith in each other, and their excellent coaching staff, they have a great chance at making those hopes a reality.

Now you may be wondering, how is the volleyball team going to play with the coronavirus restrictions still in effect. But don’t worry, the team has gone through a few adjustments and successfully found new ways to safely continue playing. The varsity head Coach Natalie Rockwell explains, “The delayed start date made pre-season training very difficult, and we are now pushing our entire season into 5 weeks of game play.  Masks are required when not playing, we track temperatures and Covid exposure risks. But we are just thankful to have the opportunity to play this season and everyone has been patient and flexible as we work through Covid together.”

Sounds good! The virus may be a slight setback but nothing can stop this year’s players from playing the sport they love.

So, what is the team hoping to accomplish this year? The coaches and players have high goals for the year, the biggest being winning state! When asked if the team can make state, junior Julia Cady said, “Yes! I think we can! We are all so motivated to get better, push it each day, and do as best we can during games which will all help us make it!” It really seems like thanks to the team’s work ethic they have great odds at making it to state this year, and hopefully all of their hard work will pay off!

Now it looks like the team can really make it this year! And their incredible coaches add even more to their odds! The team appreciates how their coaches train them and could not do it without them. Senior Emilie Garcia explains, “Our coaches have been working really hard to improve the team despite the season’s late start and irregularity. I really appreciate the coaches’ dedication to the girls and all of their support.” I think it is officially safe to assume that the coaches really are the best for the girls! Plus, now thanks to all of their hard work the team has a chance to show all of their talent during the season!

The volleyball team sounds like they are doing great and I know I personally cannot wait to see how they do! With their first game on the 22nd hopefully soon we’ll be able to see how their season ends up looking. But no matter if they win or lose, the volleyball girls are very excited for the season and hopefully with their amazing motivation and coaching staff they can reach make state as well! Good luck ladies!