This year our girl’s varsity volleyball team kickstarted their season with a trip to compete in the Sunshine State. The thought had crossed Coach Tanya Bond’s mind before and this year, with encouragement from her peers and co-workers, she made it happen.

     “I just thought it would be a really great opportunity for team building and bonding,” she said.

     They were in Florida from August 31 to September 3. The tournament was very populated, but everyone was placed into individual tournaments of about five teams to compete with. The team triumphed.

     “We went undefeated, it was a nice way to start the season,” Bond said.

     A key part of volleyball is how effectively you can communicate and trust each other. When the ball comes back over the net they have to effectively return the ball to the other side in an allotted three hits.  

       “Before our games we go around and each person says one thing they are going to try and work on for the game,” junior Lauren Myli said.. This is to confirm they will be held accountable for what progress they are attempting to make.

     This was part of the reason the Disney trip was essential to not only their strategy, but to the confidence they gained in each other’s abilities when playing as a team for the very first time.

     “Overall the tournament and the trip actually exceeded my expectations” Bond said.

      Every second not spent playing volleyball was spent exploring the Disney parks.

     “We had big groups that stayed together collectively, we didn’t have any cliques,” senior Taylor O’Brien said..

     They were able to witness each other in a more relaxed element where they could bond as friends rather than teammates.

     “To be in an area where we got to ‘play’ something other than volleyball and just really be together did a lot for our team bonding” Bond said.

     The volleyball trip was not necessarily to confirm their ability to complete, but to build a strong foundation for the rest of the school season.

     “It was a great way to start the season, come out strong and gain some confidence before we came back to Colorado” O’ Brien said.

     This year the team is very motivated to leave their legacy at Eaglecrest.

      “The seniors definitely want to win. can see it in their eyes, I can see it in their actions. The years that our volleyball program has been very successful we’ve had that” Bond said.

     Since their success in Florida they still have kept up a winning record, and their bond has strengthened and currently they are 7-3. Their next game is today at Arapahoe High School.