By: Jane Wilde

Culture Editor

After a victorious league season, the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Team is finishing off strong, competing in CCS finals and dominating on the court. Their hard work and vigorous practice schedule paid off tremendously in these last few games. First, the girls played the Leigh Longhorns, winning 3-0. Then, on Nov. 2, the team played Branham High School, beating them 3-1. 

Despite not making it all the way through, the girls look back at the process positively and leave the court with an experience to remember. Junior Reilly Ann Mendez shared her experience stating, “It was super exciting and it was really fun to get as far as we did. I wish we went farther, but I’m still really proud of how hard we worked.” This optimistic attitude is common amongst the team as they have grown progressively closer throughout the CCS process. Junior Manon Raux-Mariwaki reflected on her experience with a hopeful outlook, describing, “I felt we did pretty good during the CCS playoffs. Our team has some really talented players and I think we were able to build a stronger bond during CCS.” 

The team’s sportsmanship and support system remained strong throughout the season. Whether during practice time on the court, a pasta feed, or a hangout before a home game, there was never a dull moment on this team. Mendez shared, “Every time we hang out together it’s always a fun time.” However, Raux-Mariwaki believes there were components they could have improved on as a team, explaining, “We had great moments where the players on the court were on fire and the bench was really loud and supportive. But we also had moments where the energy was low and we weren’t playing as well, so I think consistency is definitely something our team can work on.” 

Although their playing on the court was intense, that’s not the only work they put in. Prior to playoffs, the team went through numerous scout reports in which their coach would show them film of their previous plays and create a game plan to prepare for surprise plays from the opposing team. That was an effective training tactic as the girls responded accordingly to plays and pull through with multiple victories. Throughout the CCS process, the coaches provided effective drills and conditioning to better prepare players on the court. Raux-Mariwaki said, “Our coaches did a good job of trying to break our bad habits. There was a specific drill that included a lot of running to tire us out, but it would only get worse with any lack of effort. We had to learn to show up for our team, both verbally and with our volleyball skills.”

If you missed eventful matches, don’t worry; filmed games and further information can all be found on MaxPreps.