Different Can Be A Blessing In Disguise

Our volleyball season started in late summer and because of the restrictions, all we could do was condition. Later in the season, we got approval to start playing with balls  Due to Covid-19 the Rock Academy Volleyball season looked a lot different this year than it did in the past years. Since CIF has placed rules and restrictions that we needed to follow, we lost the ability to play games against other schools, indoor practices and during the first half of our season we couldn’t play with volleyballs. As most of us players on the team have ultimately lost a big chunk of their season, we have found the joys and blessings within this tough time. 

individually. This meant that we could pass to ourselves and practice serving without contact from anyone else. From then,  we began playing full practices outside. This was a huge blessing for our team because we have been waiting for this moment since the start of the season. Our practices now included one hour of conditioning,  weight training, and one hour of playing volleyball at Rock Park. 

One of our players Clarice Wallace (12) plays an outside hitter and a defensive specialist. As a senior, she explained how Covid-19 affected her season. She stated “We forward to since freshman year.” Although this was a great disappointment to her season she didn’t get to play any real games so it took away the senior season that I have always looked saw the brightside to all of the chaos. “My favorite moment was when we got to play with balls for the first time and it was the happiest I have seen our team be. We were just playing for fun and everyone was happy.” As a player on our team, I can 100% agree that when we added the volleyballs to our practices, our whole team lit up. We all felt some sense of normalcy that we have been craving for such a long time. 

Taking all the precautions necessary to keep everyone safe, we had the opportunity to play a scrimmage against the boys football team. Most of our players would agree that this was one of the best times we had the year. The middle school and highschool students all came out to support us during this game. As I spoke to Betzabeth Avalos (12) who plays an outside hitter and a defensive specialist, she explained to me what her favorite part of this scrimmage was. “I liked when the ball went on to the boys side and Liam Lackey just grabbed the ball and held it instead of passing it.” This was a common response from the players of the volleyball team. Even though we didn’t win this scrimmage, we left with such a great memory that we will keep with us forever. 

As a whole team, we are so grateful for the season that we received. From the devotions and chick-fil-a meetings, to our practices, we have all grown closer together as a team. One of the biggest things that I am proud of from this season, is that I can walk away from my senior year volleyball season, knowing that our team is a family.  Looking back on our season, one of the biggest lessons that we can take away from this season is that sometimes “different” is a blessing in disguise.