The sound of the serve resonated throughout the gym as the match began. Players dove to keep the ball in play while others got ready to get the kill to win the point. On the sidelines, fans cheered for their team to score one more point to win yet another game. With great chemistry and even greater skill, the team had tremendous success during the season, however they faced some obstacles.
“The biggest challenge was in preseason when Dani was out, and we had a different lineup. When she came back, we had to change the lineup so she could be in it again,” junior Morgan Janda said.
The varsity girls possessed a similar drive to win on the court, and the passion each girl had for the game made the team’s goal clear: dominate the district.
“We did really well in districts and in preseason and our coach had a lot of confidence in us and what we could do, which helped motivate us even more,” senior Joanna Franco said.
The varsity volleyball team started the season with a new coach, Amy Cataline, who sought to rebuild the program with new expectations, guidance, and passion for the sport.
“Our coach has a good vibe and energy. She brought a lot of confidence, trust, and love for the game,” sophomore Gabrielle Collins said.
The team’s rekindled love for the sport, mixed with great chemistry between each girl, created a sense of unity and helped further them as a group.
“When you have a close bond, it makes [the game] more fun to play. We connected better and encouraged each other when we were on the court,” freshman Allysa Batenhorst said.
Some of the players felt that the friendships off the court bettered the team’s ability to perform during matches; stronger bonds between teammates helped the group to build trust and overcome challenges in games.
“Whenever you have a good bond and trust, it helps, because you know how to pick each other up, and when someone’s down, [you know] what to do to help,” Collins said. “Everyone having the same love and same intent to play together, win, and do our best made it easier to play on the court.”
While minor hindrances may have set the team back temporarily, they were able to adjust and make the changes needed in order to go undefeated for most of the season and get second in the state.
“The key to our success lied in the decisions made by Coach Cataline,” senior Cassidy Nimtz said. “She had belief in our team throughout the whole season, and even when we had rough matches, she continued to encourage the team and never gave up on us.”
The team was the first volleyball team in the district to advance to the championship match of the state tournament. This made history for not only the school, but the district as well.
“Making history for the school and the district was such an accomplishing feeling,” senior Olivia Hauck said. “Not only did we prove everyone wrong, we reached our main goal for the season.”