As we begin to journey further and further into the sports season, St. Joe must wave goodbye to many different things, including fall sports. One such sport is volleyball. At St. Joe, volleyball is taken very seriously, and this year’s teams certainly consisted of an extremely talented group of girls. At the end of each season, the varsity volleyball team competes in its final few matches, eventually hoping to earn the title of “state champion.”

In order to prepare for state, the varsity volleyball team had to put in an abundance of work. Each of the players had to work especially hard to make sure that they were taking care of their bodies and polishing off their skills. Junior Kayla Jansen is on the varsity volleyball team. 

“The players’ self-care routine before state involved “getting enough sleep, drinking water, and giving your body the proper nutrients [to] help create a healthier team,” Kayla said.

However, there is a lot more to playing volleyball than simply being in good physical shape. Junior Claire Morrisey, another varsity volleyball player, is a firm believer that having a healthy mentality is important.

“Being in a good mental state is almost just as important as making sure our volleyball skills are there,” Claire said. “At this point in the season, every team is really good and any team can beat anyone. Making sure we are all confident and in a good head space is really important.”

In order to ensure that they were taking care of their mental health, the players particpated in visualization exercises, yoga, and meditations as a team. This was established to help them boost their morale and put them in a more positive and confident state of mind before sectionals, districts, and eventually, state.

Aside from skill and athleticism, a lot of factors and qualities go into determining whether or not a team has what it takes to succeed. According to the varsity volleyball coach, Coach Jacqui Zancanata, being able to work together properly as a team is one of the most important things for a volleyball team to be able to do.

“I think being able to work with each other, being good at communicating, [and] being athletic [are] all super important, especially for any team sport, which volleyball is,” Coach Jacqui said.

Coach Jacqui thinks that this year’s players possessed a great ability to work together and communicate on the court. Freshman Charlie Frederick definitely agrees with this statement. She has been playing volleyball for seven years, and she has loved playing on the varsity team this season.

“Our team is very communicative and we always lift each other up with encouraging words when we are down,” Charlie said.

However, despite all of their best talents, efforts, and positive attitudes, the team suffered a critical loss to St. Dominic High School on Saturday, October 29. The girls managed to keep the game incredibly close, but they simply weren’t able to pull out a win, which means that they will not be able to compete at state this year.

Despite the loss, the team is still a powerhouse of strength, positivity, and unity. As the team is capping off its season, Coach Jacqui would like St. Joe to know how hard the girls have worked to succeed.

“They show up every single day, they put on that St. Joe uniform, and they wear it proudly,” Coach Jacqui said. “I’m very proud of what they do here, how they work, and how they show up every day for each other.”

Even though we must wave goodbye to the team this year,  they are already thinking ahead for next season.