Skyline women’s volleyball team is in the middle of the season with an overall 7-7 score. These athletes train every day for hours so that their work will transpire on the court. Yet, many do not consider the amount of effort put into making a game a success. These Eagle athletes make it clear that the saying, “easiest sport to master” couldn’t be further from the truth. 

 Eve Wilson, a senior whose main position is the middle blocker, stated, “I’ve got to point the opposing team’s front row hitters to my teammates. Two hitters in the front row or three… it’s very important that the rest of the team is informed right from the start.” When the ball is served, Wilson has to read the setter phenomenally. “You need to be able to see the ball coming over your side and then see what the hitters are going to be,” Wilson states, “Setters have tendencies to arch their back so you have got to be aware of that. It’s a lot of eye work and being able to drop your hands just a bit.” When she jumps to block and the ball crosses back to her team’s side, she has got to change direction and approach. This transition is not easy and isn’t seen in many other sports. “It’s all about working on being explosive. Seeing where your past is. The main thing you have got to learn around…how to get there is being fast, it’s a lot of footwork that you build from over the years.” 

Kira Little, 12th grader, plays outside hitter. She has multiple roles during any rally, from blocking one second and then suddenly digging the next. This requires elite agility. When asked how she was able to develop her stamina, she had this to say, “I picked it up pretty fast. But either way you’ve got to learn how to become more agile even if it is just a gift.”  While being an outside hitter, Little is an exceptional passer. It’s an expectation that the person playing the strong side will provide a consistent, accurate pass to the setter to start the offense. She shared,, “It’s a lot of not being lazy. You get a lot of opportunities but things happen when it’s actually good,” she continues, “You’ve got to make as many good ones possible and just got to make sure that in the swing of things, you aren’t getting too confident because there are so many opportunities.” 

Marli Clausi, a senior, is the libero, arguably the most unique position in the sport. Defense is important, but serving, receiving, and passing can sometimes be the game changer that it takes to win a game. This means that the only time the libero isn’t on the court is when another player serves during their opposite position. When asked how she copes with the longing amounts of time, she replied, “Yeah, during practice is very important to try your 100 percent hardest! I’m a visual person”, she says,  “So visualizing making good plays and making the good wins. You get about a thirty-second break and that’s it. So it’s all about being mentally prepared.”

The phenomenal Skyline’s women’s volleyball team is playing against Park City High School on September 15 for an away game. Five days later, they will play against rival Olympus High School at the nest. The season can no longer be considered young, but these Eagles, the best in the region as of late, have already started to prove themselves as champions.