The volleyball team will play its last district game against Lewisville on Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lewisville facility.
“[The team’s] skill level is getting more consistent,” head coach Karin Keeney said. “They are starting to [become more in sync,] talk and trust each other more on the court. Their skill level is definitely getting more consistent and their confidence is starting to gain because of that consistency.”
The volleyball team has won five state titles, three of them being consecutive wins from 2015-2017.The team is currently fifth in districts, which means they still have a chance to make playoffs. Senior captain Kaylin Ginsburg said the recent win against Coppell on Oct. 7 provided a boost of confidence for the team.
“We had all been thinking about the Coppell game for so long [because we knew that] this game was important] and we needed to win,” Ginsburg said. “Now we [recognize that] a lot is riding on the other teams and how they do to determine the records.”
This year, freshmen Marley Rogers has been a part of playing on the team. Rogers said that she has seen great improvement in herself since joining the team.
“My mindset has gotten a lot stronger,” Rogers said. “In middle school, I would get upset easily and it would affect my playing. But now, things like [losing] don’t get to me as much. The people around me don’t get affected that much either.”
With districts coming to an end, Ginsburg said that despite the team’s ups and downs, they have continuously been on the uprise due to prioritizing their mental state throughout the season.
“Being able to create your team’s energy and momentum [is important,] because you’re going to lose a lot of points.” Ginsburg said. “Learning how to forget about [the other team] and that you can’t control anything that the other team does, [but instead] you can only control what you do. When you make mistakes, the biggest thing is energy.”
Though winning is one of the team’s main goals, Ginsburg said the team recognizes the underlying goal, as players, that has an impact beyond them.
“I think what a lot of us play for, as our higher purpose, is to make Coach Keeney proud,” Ginsburg said. “We know that this is her favorite thing and she just wants to see us succeed. We want to make her proud, and she tells us that too, regardless of anything.”
