The girls’ volleyball team have completed a successful season with many young players rising to the occasion. The lack of experience and age was present seeing the team was made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores. Lara Marinov played setter for varsity and was a part of the incoming class of ten freshmen.

“A lot of girls hadn’t played before, so the expectation was to get better and to improve,” Marinov says. Marinov also said that the in the early parts of the season, the team had to “learn the basics” and become knowledgeable on the fundamentals of the sport.

During the first few games of the season, the team began to struggle. Marinov explains that the team was not playing as a unit; they could not seem to get the ball rolling but this was to be expected of such a young group.

“We were not doing well and not doing good as a team….so we got down on each other and practices became really frustrating,” said Marinov. “To overcome these setbacks, we tried harder, we gave 150%, and just made sure to smile if we were feeling down.”

The extra confidence and effort seemed to have boosted their spirits and their skills because the team began to become more competitive. They began to make games close, winning sets but never being able to cap off a solid performance with a win. That is until the team won their first game against Danville First Baptist. They triumphed in easy fashion, showcasing the potential that did not have a chance to blossom earlier in the year.

The team will be sad to see two of their beloved seniors leave next year, Kat Ahlgren and Glo Sunderland both took leadership roles on the team this year. However, Jessica Valete, a senior, was not able to play volleyball this year due to an injury. If Valete were to have played this season, she would have added much needed experience and skill to the team.

The team has high expectations for next year with hopefully all of their talent coming back as well as Kristine Wang, who sat out this year due to injury. The young core of players will bring a wider variety of skills next year and a more competitive nature.

“I can see their record ballooning to 6-7 wins,” athletic director Tim Bicknell said. This year they have made great steps for next year and the following years. Uni High Girls Volleyball has a bright future.