Sports Article:
By: Jenna Buck Sports Writer 8/31/22 When it comes down to close games and fast matches, a team must be able to communicate with each other efficiently and win the game. For Senior Lily De Los Santos and Junior Paige Horne, watching the volleyball team change and evolve has been a transforming experience. Both girls have been playing under Coach Foral since their freshman year and wiith the new season starting, Horne and De Los Santos and the team are more focused than ever.
“Our biggest change is being more dedicated. We always talk about doing better things for our team but this year we’re actually following through,” De Los Santos says. Staying focused during the season in and out of practice has benefit the team in more ways than one. “It has really opened our eyes, across the board. Everyone is showing their dedication and it proves how much we want to win. Everything will all come together,” De Los Santo replies. One area that has drastically improved for the Bearcat volleyball team is their communication. Foral has always placed an emphasis on the importance of communication. “We’ve gotten a lot better even though we still have our moments,” De Los Santos reflects. De Los Santos also commented on the level of friendship that has infiltrated the team. “We’re really close this year, especially the upperclassmen. We have taken more initiative to get to know the freshmen and make them feel included,” De Los Santos explains. De Los Santos has played volleyball since her freshman year and has been evaluating her own skill set this season, seeing how far she has come. “My serve receive has improved a lot and has opened up some doors for positions I get to play on the court,” De Los Santos says. From another perspective, Horne is making her own goals and looking forward to how she can finish strong next year. |
“Hard work takes you a lot further than just showing up. If you just show up and you don’t work hard you waste your time. I really want to be better about applying skills that I learn during practice to real game situations,” Horne says.
Foral has also been making changes that have eased the anxiety of her athletes during close games. “We’re a lot more excited because we have set plays to run. We know what we’re doing off a freeball now, and we’ve brought swing blocking into our play. It’s a huge game changer because you get more blocks with swing blocks, and it’s more fun,” Horne says. Horne has high hopes and expectations for the team and their winning record. “I think we have a good chance at having a winning record. This team is unlike any team I’ve played on at the high school level for volleyball. We want it so bad and we have the skills to get there,” Horne envisions. So farThe Scottsbluff volleyball team’s next home game is September 6, 2022 versus Cheyenne East. Freshmen are at 4, Reserve and JV are at 5 and Varsity is at 6. |