Northwood has an experienced varsity volleyball team; each student has unique talents and strengths that when combined, have created the conditions for a successful season.
“I love my team,” senior player Ainsley Fauth said. “We are all good friends and that helps so much on the court. We are able to trust each other which is beneficial because we know we have each other’s backs. I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to work with these girls!”
The student players have the two essential components of a good team–they work together on the court and are friends off of it. The girls say that they have been through a lot together and enjoy spending time doing what they love.
“I think that our team has a lot of talent and potential,” senior Hannah Forber said. “We have the best record that we have had in a long time and are currently number 2 in the conference. I think that we have been playing well but I definitely think that we still have things to work on in order to us to reach our fullest potential.”
This season, the Northwood varsity team has performed well; their win to loss ratio is 16-4. However, some of the girls are worried about how next season is going to be due to most of their current teammates being seniors.
“Considering that of the nine players on varsity seven of them are seniors, I think next year’s team will struggle at the start,” senior Olivia Thill said. “This does not mean I think they don’t have the skills to fill our shoes, I just know that varsity and JV have two very different speeds that require an adjustment period for new players.”
Even though many of the senior girls are leaving, some of them are planning on continuing their volleyball careers. The girls have dedicated a large portion of their time in high school to volleyball and some will continue with their passion after graduation.
“I would like to continue on and play volleyball after high school,” senior Kaylee Atkins said.
“As I mentioned earlier, volleyball has been a major part of our lives for the past couple of years or more. It would be tough to let so much time and effort go.”
Players find volleyball to be a good way to connect with people and find good friends and encourage others to give it a try.
“For students that would like to try out for the volleyball team, I would recommend that they do it!” Atkins said. “Volleyball goes beyond a skill and can really help shape someone as a person. It’s also a great opportunity to make some amazing life-long friends who will have your back no matter what!”
While senior volleyball players may have reached the end of their high school volleyball career, even so, this year’s standout volleyball season will undoubtedly leave an impact on Northwood’s athletic legacy down the road.
