All out, all season
Volleyball team says farewell to the season
It’s two o’clock on Nov. 9, and the semi-final volleyball game against Hagerty High School is about to start. Last year, the girls defeated Hagerty in the region final. This year, however, the girls took a 3-0 loss, ending their season.
Despite the loss, several players said they had a good season and enjoyed the time the team had together. This year the girls ranked number 12 in the entire state of Florida.
“It was a lot of like hard work and long practices,” outside right side sophomore Sterling O’Neil said. “From being a new person on the team, it is kind of difficult because you didn’t get to play as much but you still had a lot of practices, but I think in the end it was all worth it.”
Every day from 5:30-8 p.m., the girls had practice. Being together for so much of their season really made the players feel connected according to many of the players, including junior Georgia Lowe.
“It’s been really good and really nice; they kind of feel like older sisters to me,” Lowe said. “They’re always like there, and the seniors especially are really sweet and nice.”
During the off season, the players can use their time to practice, along with any others interested in being a part of volleyball in a less competitive setting. Lowe has been in the volleyball club since freshman year and joined varsity this year.
“Playing at a higher level has taught me that I can like do certain things that I didn’t know I could,” Lowe said. “It’s been a really great learning experience.”
This year, the team had a range of girls from seniors to a freshman. These players had the opportunity to travel around the state and even went to a tournament in Phoenix, Arizona.
“When we were in Phoenix, we were just with each other nonstop for like four days,” senior Birdie Frierson. “Normally you’d get annoyed with your teammates after that, but like every time we would get together it just kept getting more and more fun.”
Frierson, an outside hitter for the team, has been playing on varsity all four years of high school and watched as the team has evolved. She herself has said she’s changed and improved and that the experience has been amazing.
“Every year you have a different perspective,” Frierson said. “Like when I was a freshman, I thought everyone on the team was like, so much older than me, and like, insanely amazing and now I’m in the position looking down at the younger kids and I think the same thing. Watching them grow and knowing how good they’re going to be one day.”
One of the youngest players, freshman Jade Bedell, despite having six years of experience under her belt, still sees herself improving all the time.
“It’s been an amazing experience; I’ve learned a lot,” Bedell said. “The seniors and everybody, the higher classmen, helped me a lot. It’s been really good.”
The girls made it to state semifinals and lost the game 3-0 against Haggerty. Despite this loss, members said they were appreciative of their time on the team this year.
“It’s just a really good experience just to be with them and finally get to play with them after like looking up to them for so long,” Lowe said.
