Despite an uncommon mix of players, the girls varsity volleyball team holds high expectations for the fall season.
“When we come together as a team, we will definitely be a force to be reckoned with,” senior Zoë Wallis said. “We can be really talented when we want to be.”
This year’s varsity team has girls from every grade level, including two seniors new to Central this year.
Senior Mimi Irons said she has had to adjust to the new team environment.
“The hardest part about joining a team senior year is trying to connect with the team,” Irons said. “Everyone has known and played with each other for three years or more, but I’m just now coming and have to learn how things are done.”
Irons said that despite her sudden arrival on the team, she has built a great relationship with the girls already.
“The girls welcomed me with open arms,” Irons said. “It feels like I’ve been playing with them for years. The coaches even make me feel comfortable.”
Freshman Katherine Laue agrees with Irons, adding that all of the girls are always willing to give new people advice. Despite being the youngest on the team, Laue said the older players have all been very supportive of her.
“There is not a lot of division between the grade levels,” Laue said. “Everyone gets along really well.”
In addition to adjusting to the new players, the girls must adapt to the game without one player. Senior Katie Rembold has had to sit out for the past year due to bone marrow edema syndrome and transient osteoporosis of the talus. In simpler terms, Rembold has excessive fluid in her ankle, a condition that must disappear on its own.
“Unfortunately, there is no way to determine when the condition will go away,” Rembold said. “I just have to continue my physical therapy until my ankle feels better.”
Despite her injury, Rembold still finds ways to help out her teammates. During practice, Rembold assists with drills, tossing volleyballs and serving. Even with this participation, Rembold remains disappointed with the length of her injury.
“It’s sad that I have grown used to sitting out of the games,” Rembold said. “It’s very frustrating to see other injured people recover so quickly when I have had to sit out for over a year.”
With one girl injured and many new faces, varsity coach Mr. Tom Schaefer has had to adjust to the unusual combination of classes. Schaefer said he has focused on encouraging the girls to adapt to the new dynamic.
“The new girls are learning what it is like to play on a varsity team,” Schaefer said. “The game is faster; we have to work harder and pay more attention to details.”
In order to maintain the same level of competition as their opponents, Schaefer hopes to concentrate on the girls’ offensive skills. To make up for a lack of height, Schaefer says the girls must try to get as many attacks as possible while on offense.
“The close games are going to come down to whether we can execute offensive drills properly or not,” Schaefer said. “We have to make sure we work as hard as we can.”
The girls’ schedule includes games against many top-ranked teams in the 3A and 4A divisions. Schaefer describes Central’s ranking as “outside the bubble,” meaning they are just outside of the top ten of their division.
Both he and Laue predict that there will be some ups and downs throughout the season.
“Even if we don’t win them all, we can challenge ourselves,” Laue said. “We may not win everything, but we get better by playing more competitive teams.”