Written By: Sakura Snyder, Staff Writer, and Lucy McPherson, Staff Writer in Training
EXCITING: Poly Girls Volleyball begins their season with high ambitions and prospects for the future.
With the start of the school year, many fall sports teams at Poly have already sprung into action. Poly’s highly regarded Girls Volleyball team is a prime example of this—with their recent 3-1 win against rivaling school Liberty, it is safe to say that the team is off to a solid start. Still some questions arise about the team and their plans for the year: What kind of players are participating and striving to contribute to the team’s achievements? What is the coach’s perspective on the season so far? We interviewed a number of individuals, including the team captain and coach, in order to get a grasp on the Girls Volleyball team’s fascinating past and promising future.
It is no secret that coaches play an incredibly important role in a team’s success, especially when their own love for the sport becomes part of their coaching strategy. Coach Fulwider is an excellent demonstration of this passion—being responsible for the overseeing of volleyball teams since 1993, her devotion for the sport is clear as day. “I love volleyball, and I enjoy keeping connected to the sport,” she explains. Not only does she like spreading engagement with the sport itself, she also loves to see players evolve with it. Seeing the development of “freshman to seniors” is one of her favorite parts of being a coach, as she essentially watches her players “grow up” throughout the years. As for the team’s start this season, Coach Fulwider keeps her own thoughts reserved. “Although we have a couple of key players who are injured, that just means that the other players have had to rise to the occasion and come together to play as a team,” she states. Coach Fulwider emphasizes the remarkable process of seeing players step out of their comfort zones and play different positions, as it leads to maximized potential for the overall team.
Shifting to the players’ perspectives, it can be seen that most of them are aligned under one goal: to become league champions and “make it to CIF,” as worded by Michelle Milligan (12). Sarah Lynne (12), who is a key player and captain of the team, believes that it is important for the team to “overall get better as the season progresses.” Lynne believes that it is her duty as a core leader to“keep her energy up and support [her] team in the best way [she] can,” especially when it comes to reaching CIF. Nadia Lewis (12), loves “the sense of community I have with my teammates.” She claims that, “When someone has a hard time, we support each other.”
Despite hardships, the Girls Volleyball team has a lineup of extraordinarily capable young women with a wide range of skills and abilities. Led by exceptional leadership and teamwork, we are sure that the girls will have great things to offer for this fall season. Go Bears!