Girls’ varsity volleyball serves on the court
For a volleyball player, when a game starts, all they can hear is the cheering crowd, all they can see is the ball and all they can feel is the adrenaline rush getting them ready for another win. In the same way that winning can make a player feel unstoppable, losses can also leave players feeling discouraged. But a crucial, and often dismissed, aspect of being on any sports team is knowing how to turn a loss into motivation.
The girls’ varsity volleyball team kicked off their season with their first game on Sept. 6 in the gym, which ended in a loss. Despite this, Kylie Beilke, senior and co-team captain, believed that the loss was merely a lesson for the team. “I think if we keep focusing really hard in practice and working hard, [we will] end up doing really well this season,” Beilke said, “I just think that game needed to happen in order for us to get better.”
Instead of discouraging them, the players feel that a loss teaches them what skills they can focus on to improve their performance. Underneath the skill and teamwork that make up a strong varsity team, each player is also on their own journey towards reaching their goals. For Brooke Patsch, senior and co-team captain, confidence is the key to making it to varsity. “I think just having confidence in myself and in my play is what got me [to] the next level,” Patsch said. “Believe in yourself and just give everything you got in[to] every play,” Patsch said.
Skill level is only a piece of what makes a good varsity player, and Taylor Black, junior and outside hitter, believes that a good attitude makes all the difference during tension-filled games. “Try and focus on who you are as a person, and then it will easily correlate to you as an athlete,” Black said. She believes that working on being a good person is what makes her a strong teammate, helping her gain a spot on the varsity team.
To get in the winning mindset before a game, the athletes prepare both physically and mentally to ensure that they are focused when the game begins. To do so, Black trains at Sports Academy and practices her faith. “Mentally, I love to read the Bible. And also, I just like to listen to music. It’s like a ritual,” Black said. “[I always pray] and think about winning and having fun.”
Patsch also tries to stay in a good headspace and does warm-up drills before the game. “Mentally, I just try to stay strong and just look on the bright side. And physically, we do a really big, long warm-up with our team,” Patsch said.
Whether it is blasting music on the bus ride home, laughing together or doing homework in between games, Patsch is grateful for the memories she has made with the team. The volleyball team is where Patsch made her closest friends, whom she calls family. “I’m just so close to everyone, and I think it’s just always given me something to look forward to doing in school, and it’s helped my high school a lot,” Patsch said.
The team’s resilience is showing with the progression of the season. Since their first game, the team has had a strong come-back, winning 2-1 on Sept. 13 against Chico. The team will work to apply the knowledge they gained from their first loss throughout the rest of the season.
The social aspect is arguably the best thing to come from being on a team, and whether winning together or losing together, the connections between players only grow. For Beilke, the greatest experience the team gave her was a tight group of friends. “It gave me a safe place and a group of people that I could always come to to look at problems and questions, and I just think I made lifelong friends,” Beilke said.
