As the end of October approaches, the fall sports season nears its end. For the girls’ volleyball team, the rest of their season is looking promising after a nearly perfect record of 16-2, sitting them at No. 2 in the Division I state standings.
In order to remain among the top teams, senior Riley Campo hopes that her team “keeps everything the way it is [because] it’s working.” A part of that also includes team-bonding and building chemistry off the court.
“Going into the season we were already a very close-knit group, so that definitely helps,” Campo said. “We also spend a lot of time off the court together, doing things like getting food or just being together in general.”
Coach Matthew Leonard recognizes his team’s success and looks to build on it.
“A huge mindset for the team from day one is to have fun playing together,” Leonard said, “The players do a great job of reminding each other of that priority every day.”
Leonard says the team’s skills are what separates them from the rest of the Division I teams and what “makes them special.”
“When we step on the court versus an opponent, we have talent all over the place and sometimes the other team does not know how we will attack them,” Leonard said. “This has been one of our best attributes as a team.”
Despite how well the team is playing this season, Leonard believes that they have room for improvement.
“Each day, we work on getting better at both volleyball and supporting each other on and off the court,” Leonard said. “Both [aspects] are already strengths for [the whole team], but each member is committed to getting better at both.”
As the team works toward fine-tuning their skills, Leonard has confidence in their ability as they enter the final stages of the season and reach the playoffs.
“When we focus on what we can do well and we have fun on the court and support each other, we will play our best volleyball,” Leonard said, “When we play our best volleyball, we can compete with any team in the state.”
Campo hopes the team will continue its success and improve even more as the season approaches its final stages.
“We plan to keep doing what we’re doing,” Campo said, “working on the small things [like] basic skills that can always be improved upon, and supporting each other.”
Leonard feels similarly, and is “looking forward to seeing more support in the stands as we finish up our regular season and try for a deep run in the playoffs.”
