The girl’s volleyball team, which is on their eighth week of the season as of Sept. 27, with eleven more to go, currently has a record of 4-5.
When asked what factors make the team successful, middle hitter on the varsity team, Alisa Friedman, says, “Our connection outside of volleyball makes us play well together—-and (we) can pick each other up because we understand each other.”
Team bonding is really important in order to feel comfortable with your team and improve teamwork. By connecting outside of the sport itself, it allows the team to connect more during the game and play the best that they can.
Of course, the key to a great team is also how well the coaches are influencing the team. Friedman says that “The coaches always encourage us, and discipline us through our practices and drills.” Varsity opposite hitter, Madeline Cignini, adds that “She (Coach Finke and Manko) helps us get better individually, but also forces us to come together as a team.”
It is clear that the coaches have a positive effect on the team by training them and preparing them for the games, and they also help to bring the team together by connecting them during practice. As Friedman said, they discipline the team which makes them take the game more seriously and perform better.
Compared to the beginning of the season Cignini said, “The energy, in the beginning, was very much everyone focused on their own skills, and we weren’t really as much a team as we are now.”
It is clear that throughout their season, the volleyball team has improved by becoming more team-oriented and through all the dedication and hard work they put into the sport.
