Dedicated and tight knit sports teams are hard to find, especially in highschool. Teenagers feel the pull of so many factors during this time in their lives, and things such as academics, social drama, and unbalanced priorities can thwart all efforts to create a successful group with a close bond. Loudoun Valley High School is home to one of those very special teams.
I first met the girls varsity volleyball team on a Wednesday afternoon after the school day had ended. Walking into the aux gym, the first thing I noticed was how the girls were sitting: spread around their coach in a semicircle. They were engaged in a thoughtful conversation, and as I observed, every player was given the opportunity to speak, every comment was evaluated and valued, and as laughter rang through the gym I realised that I had encountered something special.
It’s fairly easy to see talent looking in on a sports team, but the head volleyball coach, Carmel Keilty, has witnessed the girls in action and identified their unique connection as well.
“These girls just really have a calm demeanor about them on the court and off the court. It’s like a confident, quiet demeanor, which is really nice,” said coach Keilty. “So I know when they step on the court, and if a mistake is made, they’re going to work their way through it.”
Assistant coach Amber Biggers has also identified the team’s closeness, comparing their bond to that of sisters.“I think we have a really good team culture,” said Coach Biggers. “They all just kind of seem like sisters, everybody has their own personality, and they just work really well together like a family.”
The team has a great dynamic and a confident presence on the court, and some of that attitude can be traced back to a special team tradition.
Senior Lara Moore, who plays middle for the team, attributes some of the girls’ success to a ritual they perform prior to every match they play. “Before every game, after the run out, we go out to the hallway, we stretch and then we stand in a circle. And we do our affirmations,” said Moore. “It’s sort of like a joke, but we do it every single game now and it’s actually kind of helpful, and it kind of gets us on the right mindset and it does work.”
The girls value their affirmations a lot, and senior right side Austin Raymer, acknowledges the ritual as something that prepares them mentaly for the game. “It really helps us just get in the mode to play,” Raymer said.
Raymer is also currently dealing with an injury, a sprain in her ankle. She has been touched by her teammates’ kindness throughout her recovery, another testament to the varsity volleyball team’s commitment to each other and the sport they play. “They’ve been good at texting me every day asking how I’ve been.” she said. “When I came back for the first time, because the last time they saw me I was crying getting off the court, they all ran up and they were like, ‘I’m so happy.”
Along with a deep care for each other and a strong support system, the volleyball team has had lots of success on the court. Their athletic prowess has led the girls to a ranking of second in the district. “It’s going pretty well so far.” said senior Riley Heffron, who plays setter. “We’ve lost two games but we have been playing pretty strong and we are looking forward to the rest of the season. I think we’re playing pretty well and getting better.”
As they move further into the season, the team also hopes to beat their long time rivals: Loudoun County High School. “I mean, County’s good.” said Coach Keilty. “They’re solid in every position. So I think we need to make some adjustments defensively… you don’t make major changes because the success you’ve had and the way you’ve been playing it’s gotten you to this level as it is, so you just make little tweaks here and there.”
Not only has Coach Kielty made changes to the girls’ positions in the game, there have been shifts in the team leadership and dynamic as well, mostly due to the graduation of the class of 2021. However, the current senior class has stepped up and filled the spaces left by those before them. According to junior Amy Wood, “All the seniors now are super supportive, and they’re stepping into leadership roles, and they’re doing a great job.”
Thanks to strong leadership, intense determination, and an incredibly unique team bond, the girls varsity volleyball team has risen to the top in the district and state. “They (the team) don’t really get down on themselves in a match,” said Coach Biggers. “And they don’t give up, which is why they’ve been so successful.”