Every fall, volleyball teams around the country are sparked with excitement, as anticipation and rivalry emerge for teams poised to make their return to the court. Teams begin fresh, rebuilding their rosters, filling them with new coaches, faces and even new lineups. What truly shows however, is the intensity of practice and hard work that goes on behind the scenes.
For Papillion-La Vista, the familiar sounds of bouncing volleyballs have finally returned to the gym, as the Monarchs prepare for a season that could potentially take them back to the state tournament. Junior outside hitter Aubree Fettin and junior pin hitter Logan Hickey are among two players on the varsity squad that are looking forward to this upcoming season.
With many new additions to the team, which includes a brand-new head coach, Taelen Ahl, this preseason is going to be a very crucial part of getting the team ready for the regular season.
“It’s definitely a big adjustment,” Hickey said. “We are being pushed to places we haven’t ever been pushed to in the past.”
With an increase in new players, this offseason laid down the foundation for how they would work together as a team.
“I think we all did really well in summer by showing up to weights and open gym,” Hickey said. “Also putting in work outside of just being here.”
However, as the preseason comes to a close and games start to begin, practices continue to ramp up in intensity.
“We do a lot of conditioning,” Hickey said. “[Practices] are really hard, but I think Taelen does a great job mixing up drills to work on different skills.”
Building chemistry by coming together continues to act as a big part in establishing strong team dynamics.
“During practices, I feel like we hold each other accountable, and it helps us lean on each other when times are tough,” Fettin said. “I think our biggest challenge is going to be trusting the process.”
With a variety of talent, the team zones in on a season with high expectations and an increase in focus. The hard work put in over the summer and long practice days that lead up to this moment truly make a team different from the rest. As the first serve approaches and the clock hits zero, all eyes are on how this group will compete and leave their mark against the best in the state.
