Every season of volleyball comes with change. The seniors are gone, freshman move up and start playing with upperclassmen and this year, and the team has a new coach.

Coach Julie Carver, physical education teacher at Truman Elementary, is that new volleyball coach. And thus far, she’s made quite the impact.

“[Coach Carver’s] really intense and she just wants us to do our best and she doesn’t let us get away with doing less than that. So she pushes us a lot and I think we understand the game better than we did,” senior Zoey Craun said. “We understand that we have to be in control of the game mentally and make sure that [we’re] just being more strategic about everything and playing smart and aggressive at the same time.”

Tough training is a part of Carver’s practice philosophy, but it isn’t hard to motivate students to do the tough routines day after day.

“Coach has brought a lot of experience to our team and we’ve gotten a lot better at the basics…[Practice] definitely does [get tedious] but it’s definitely worth it. It’s just a great game,” Craun said.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and through all of the practices, the team is getting closer that goal.

“Oh yes, we’re already making progress. It’s going to be a long process but we’re already making progress, that’s for sure,” Carver said.

That progress is one of the things that motivates players most. Doing well and beating teams encourages the players to keep going and to keep practicing.

“I’m enjoying it this year a lot more because I get to play a lot more. And I feel like were working a lot better as a team and we’ve made a lot of progress,” Craun said.

A part of that growth that the team has experienced, is not just physical, but mental as well.

“I think this year the team is a lot more focused on our goal and we work together a lot better and we’ve gotten a lot closer with our coach,” sophomore Sophie Luna said.

In the physical aspect of volleyball, diving for balls, otherwise known as digging, is a part of it. But with a good dig comes an excellent bruise.

“I think the bruises are worth it because they’re kind of like badges of honor because when you look at you’re bruise and you know you got a really good dig it just feels good,” Luna said.

Just like the bruises give players a positive morale boost, the new coach does as well.

“She’s really helped us along and has given us new input on things,” junior Emily Dodge said.

With all of the changes to the team this year, the love for volleyball is still present in the players.

“I get to spend time with a lot of my friends and love how interactive [volleyball] is…It’s all worth it,” junior Kaitlyn Settles said.

With all of the positive energy coming from the growth of the volleyball team this year, Carver is looking forward to what they can do next year.

“[For next year I look for] lots of hard work in the off season, kids going and playing winter ball and getting better. And hopefully a more positive season with more wins,” Carver said.