The seventh grade girls volleyball team has had a very successful season so far this year with a record of 4-1.
This year, the team worked on three-set plays, serving, and making sure the ball didn’t hit the ground. “We really improved on working together,” said Grace Ellison, one of the players on the team.
All that work is paying off. Coach Wendy Kraft said, “The joy I see on the players’ faces when they do something new the right way is the most memorable thing I took out of this season.”
The team gets together after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the gym to practice as well as make and strengthen friendships. Even though not many practices take place, there have been many improvements, and weaknesses have turned into strengths. “We still need to work on communication,” said Bella Muri. “We still need to improve this, but I know that slowly we are doing exercises that improve our ability to communicate.”
The most challenging experience was the first game because the team hadn’t played with each other yet. Also, most of the players hadn’t played volleyball for a while, and some were completely new to the sport. After the first game, the team worked together in practices and connected more as they played, which helped them to win their future games by working as a team instead of as individuals.
Even though some aspects still need to be improved, such as serving, the team works hard to win the game and understand the plays. “The team doesn’t stop trying to learn what I am saying to them,” said Coach Kraft. “They see coaching instruction as an opportunity to learn.”
