Volleyball Set for State
September 29, 2016
Volleyball is a game of chemistry. Although there are only six people on the court at a time, the whole team needs to develop a bond to cohesively function as a unit. The school’s varsity girls volleyball team hopes to maintain their strong chemistry and gain momentum for the State playoffs, which would be West’s first appearance in several years.
“Chemistry beats talent any day,” senior Sarah Sanders said.
This is Sanders’ second year on West’s varsity volleyball team and after last year’s graduating seniors retired their uniforms, Sanders has witnessed new underclassmen emerge from the ranks of freshman, sophomore and junior varsity teams.
“We have two new freshmen that really strengthen our team all around,” Sanders said. “Right now, we are learning how we all play.”
One way the veterans welcomed new players to the team was through an event called Senior Kidnapping.
“We kidnap the underclassmen from their houses at seven in the morning,” Sanders said. “Then we went for breakfast at Arbor Hills and went on a scavenger hunt.”
Their team bonding exercises not only allowed them to bond off the court, but also contributed to their success on the court.
“We’ve really grown a lot as a team and we’ve come together,” junior Gerilyn Boyle said. “You can see it in our game. We all are in sync and we’ve gotten a lot better.”
Their first test in team chemistry came in the form of the 2016 Adidas Texas Volleyball Invitational, attended by West every year.
“We went down to Pearland, Texas for the largest high school volleyball tourname
nt in the nation,” varsity coach Brittany Bridge said. “We took second place out of 80 teams.”
Now during the regular season, the team practices five times a week, two hours before school on regular practice days and one hour before on game days.
“It’s really time consuming,” Boyle said. “Balancing school work and studying for tests is really hard. We had a game and we didn’t get back until 10 p.m., then the next morning I had to wake up and go to early morning practice at 6:45 a.m.”
It may be a grueling schedule, but their work has not gone unrecognized.
“Not only are we a very tall and powerful offensive team but we have relentless defense as well,” Bridge said. “With both sides of the ball being strong, we have been very successful so far in our season.”
After the regular season, the team is expected to be one of the top four teams in District 6-6A, solidifying their spot in the playoffs.
“We’re looking forward to making playoffs,” Sanders said. “We are ranked in the top 20 in the nation.”
Once in the playoffs, the team enters knockout elimination rounds; they will play two matches a week on a neutral site until they lose, ultimately ending their postseason run.
“Once we are into the playoffs, it is no easy road to State,” Bridge said. “Our region has more top teams than any other region.”
With the pressure increasing every point and every set, the players often find it difficult to maintain focus on the court.
“We’re hard on ourselves,” Sanders said. “We just have to remember to take a deep breath. Next point. Move on.”
However, the team can rely on each other to pick themselves up.
“The returning players on varsity welcomed the new girls with open arms and at any moment, they all can be seen hanging out together,” Bridge said. “They truly are a TEAM.”
