Girls Volleyball Looks Ahead to a New Season
by Jonah Lee and Daniel Kim
Photos by Aidan Khan
As the girls volleyball season gets underway, both the varsity and junior varsity teams have been undergoing intense practices, and they recently completed their preseason in preparation for the competition that they are now facing. After their success as Division 2 CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) champions last year, it is obvious that high expectations and goals have been placed on the players, putting them under some pressure for this year. New members must adapt quickly to the speed and physical demands of a high-level game. Nevertheless, players are trying to ignore all the expectations and instead concentrate on practicing and developing fundamental skills, as well as fostering a positive team spirit.
One of the team's major concerns early in the season is teamwork. Volleyball is a sport that requires players to work closely together, communicate effectively, and demonstrate mental resilience. With this in mind, one of the team’s main goals for the season is to build their chemistry. “The team’s goal for the rest of the season is to improve as much as we can and to be able to win games with teamwork,” said Gina Ryu, a junior varsity player. As the season progresses, the team hopes to take the trust and chemistry that they have built and translate it into results during the games.
Having won the championship last year, the majority of the girls have already played a full season with each other, which helps them improve their communication on the court, as well as before and after games. This year, the competition will overall be more challenging, as the team has been ranked higher. Tanvitha Vege, a middle on the varsity team, says, “Mentally, it's different depending on if the team is better or worse than us. But if we think the team is better than us, we try to hype ourselves up. Whereas if we think the team is worse than us, we try to calm ourselves down so we don't get overconfident.” The team has various methods for staying calm and cheering each other on, with the bench players rooting for the players on the court to fire them up and encourage them to perform at their best.
The team lost one of their starting middles this year due to a transfer, so they have had to undergo position changes to compensate, but these changes have not proven to be a huge factor. They are currently 3-1 in their league and ranked #2, showing future promise throughout the rest of the season, especially as practices and games continue and the chemistry between the players improves. “Our goals are to play the best we can, beat as many teams as possible, and to go to state championships,” Tanvitha says.
Our girls volleyball team shows renewed promise this year, which has been demonstrated through their growth from their preseason to their skills and mentality during games. To follow them throughout the season and show your support, check out their Instagram account @evhs_girlsvolleyball. And plan on coming to show your support in person in one of their home games list below.
