The volleyball team dominated their first-round regional against their hometown rivals, Thomas Jefferson, 3-0 on October 22. However, they fell short during their semifinal match against Waukee Northwest on October 24, ending their season with a 13-24 record. The head coach and players felt the season was challenging and emotional as they said goodbye to the seniors.
Varsity head coach Alyssa Jeffrey feels that the season was tough but the players pulled through to make the most of it and have fun.
“This has been a tough season. We started out doing pretty well and then a team beat us that probably shouldn’t have,” said Jeffrey. “It really hurt our mental game, but we started to put the pieces back together and picked up momentum. The Sioux City West game was great. Everyone was playing hard and having a lot of fun.”
Junior volleyball player Jasmine Shields loved getting to play with new players and the seniors. She is going to miss their leadership next season.
“It took a bit of time adjusting to playing with new people and really connecting on the court, but after a while things came together,” said Shields. “I’m definitely going to miss this senior class. I’ve looked up to them since I met them in elementary school. They have always inspired me to be better and keep playing. They’re all amazing girls, leaders, and players.”
Senior volleyball player Alayna Hughes enjoyed playing her last high school season and getting to bond with her teammates on and off the court.
“We had a lot of challenges, but in the end, it was great and we became such a good family,” said Hughes. “Senior Night with my team by my side and the bus rides back from away games were so much fun because we all talked and got along great. I’m going to miss it.”
Coach Jeffrey is proud of how the team continued to make the season fun even when it was challenging. She’s going to miss the seniors but wants them to know to never give up.
“We have talked a lot about accountability this year, and that the way you do anything is the way you do everything,” said Jeffrey. “My biggest piece of advice for our seniors is to never give up. Life is hard, it’s not easy, and when you face hard times, you’ve got to push through because the outcome is always worth it in the end.”
