Pass, set, hit and BAM! Girls and boys volleyball have been having great seasons, with several wins from both teams already in the books and promising ends of seasons ahead of them.
Boys
“Our team is feeling good, we got our first win against a ranked team on Tuesday [the 10th]. There’s still some things we can work on, but as a team, I think we played good all together,” Jackson said. Jackson Loewe, senior and floor captain (main captain/speaks with refs), is looking forward to his last year with Fondy volleyball. He has been playing for school teams since fourth grade, and began club play in sixth grade. On varsity since his freshman year, Jackson is stepping into a larger role on the team during practices and in games.
“And yeah, this year especially, our practices have been pretty competitive compared to past years, and it’s definitely helping in making all of us better as a team, and then our younger guys, getting them, like, competing and getting better too,” Jackson said.
It’s going to be an exciting season for both fans and players, including fun themes for games and also senior night, something Jackson is looking forward to this year.
“Then once we get to playoffs… I feel like we can make a run and there is a shot at getting to state, and I’m looking forward to that and getting to do that with our team,” Jackson said. Though he isn’t sure yet if he will continue volleyball after high school, Jackson hopes to have a great end of the season with his team. As for after graduation, he is currently thinking of potentially going into the medical field as a biology major, but only time will tell.
Girls
Now, the girls volleyball team has a bit of a different dynamic. Opposing the boys team, the girls varsity players are overall very young. With only three seniors, juniors and sophomores make up the majority of the team. Sophie Steinbarth has been playing volleyball since fourth grade and also has been on the varsity team since her freshman year.
“I think for the most part a lot of people were already friends outside of volleyball, so it’s been pretty easy to keep communicating,” Sophie said. Communication is essential in team sports, especially for a team captain.
“[Being a senior] just leans more on me being a leader at all times because now not only am I just a captain but… I’m the oldest on the team, and should be kind of helping with the younger ones, also…there’s a lot of new faces and kind of showing everyone the ropes. But otherwise, it just feels weird being a senior and like, unreal,” Sophie said.
To finish out her final year with Fondy volleyball, Sophie’s goals are prioritized on keeping a positive mindset and a “next play” mentality.
After graduation, Sophie hopes to go to UW Madison for 4 years and eventually continue her education in medical school. Likely continuing with volleyball in some way after high school, she plans on participating in grass tournaments or possibly playing for a club team in college. But for now, the focus is on a successful and fun season.
Go support your fellow cardinals and follow @fdlgvb on instagram!
