The varsity girls volleyball ended the season with a tying score of 8-8. With a new season and coach, the athletes could combine their chemistry to stay in the top four in the Northern Lake County Conference (NLCC).

They started their first with a tough loss of 2-1. This, however, only encouraged the athletes for a greater upgrade and a set of needed improvements. Assistant coach Esther Cho explains, “I think we play hard, it seems maybe there were a little bit of the first game jitters right, we lost in three. But we walked away from that, with a really clear idea, this is what we feel like we need to work on right this is what we realized we need to practice more.”

Even though the athletes did not earn the title of conference champs, they were still able to improve their team skills and stay proud of their achievements. Junior middle hitter Piper Gallaher shares insight on the goals that were set for this season.

“As a team, I think one of our goals was to win the conference, which we did not achieve. But we had the goal of just wanting to improve overall as a team, and we did over the season. We got better each game,” stated Gallaher.

The athletes’ improvements did not go unnoticed. Their developed skills were the leading cause of their success. Varsity head coach Arian Colton states, “I think our biggest strength was our serving and our passing and our ability to pursue the ball. So I think those are things that really helped us win a lot of matches this year.”

The team’s skills were not the only positive of this season. Colton attributes the athletes’ collaboration helped to better their energy and preparedness for matches

“I was really pleased with how the girls played, how they worked in practice, in matches. So overall, I would say I’m really happy with the season,” said Colton.

With an unpredictable and atypical year, the athletes not only came back with a new head coach but also a couple of new rules. Due to COVID protocols, the girls are asked to wear a face-covering at all times and continue a 6-feet-distance between players. These changes were only minor, but for upcoming athletes, it was an unnatural change.

These changes, however, quickly became the new normal. With the fear of anyone on the team getting COVID, the girls stayed safe and understanding outside of the court.

“They’re being safe about it, turning away from each other, and so I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but I think it seems like we’ve kind of gotten into a flow of things. We’re starting to get used to this new normal,” said Cho. 

Even though the athletes swiftly got the hang of things it was still unusual for some. Gallaher explains, “It was weird not being able to see faces, but we were just happy to be able to play.”

But even with new changes and protocols, the athletes were grateful to be given a season and a chance to play.

“Overall, it was just about, you know, really, really being grateful for being able to play. We always like to win. We’re super competitive, but getting the chance to be back out there and be together I think was the biggest takeaway for this group,” explained Colton.

For many players, this volleyball season was their last. While they might move on with their athletic career, the girls volleyball program will always remember the impact they had on players and matches.

Gallaher expresses her gratitude for the seniors who are leaving. “The seniors were a great group of girls. I know from playing on varsity as a sophomore they helped me grow a lot. They taught the girls in this program so much and they handled the new coaches so well. Everybody in this program really looks up to them. They should be proud of what they have done for this team,” Gallaher states.