Despite multiple injuries to key players, the girls varsity volleyball team, 3-9, looks to make it as far as they can in the playoff coach Chris Crader said.
Crader said he was particularly proud of the way his team performed in its recent comeback victory against Monta Vista.
“After having those rough experiences and confidence not being high, to be able to come back like that shows a lot of character and a lot of class,” he said. “I’m glad for everybody that we won.”
Co-captain Jess Watanabe, who was out for the Monta Vista due to injury, said being unable to play and help the team was difficult.
“I think the biggest challenge for me is my mentality and staying positive when I mess up because I was out for a little while,” Wantanabe said.“I’m not back to 100% yet. And so I think just realizing that it takes a lot of time for me to get to where I was before, has been pretty difficult.”
To overcome injuries such as Wantanabe’s, Crader said the team is practicing more and hopes to advance to playoffs.
“If we can win, then we earned the right to have one more practice and play one more match after that and hopefully we can repeat and repeat and repeat,” Crader said. “I think we’ve gotten back to a good place, and we’re playing well.”
Wantanabe said she is motivated to keep working hard to help the team get as far as it can.
Wantanabe said, “If we end up going down, then I hope we go down with a fight.”