The 2018 Cape Central volleyball team has a current record of fifteen wins. Their work as a closely-knit team has assisted them this year. On and off the court, the girls have a strong bond. “Having a team, a group of friends to come to every day after school… It makes the hard work worthwhile,” Marisa Lanzotti, junior, varsity player, states.

As with all sports, the players have to have someone to guide and teach them how to work together to succeed. Coach Sara Henry is the one who takes on that responsibility at Central. Henry explained that she was inspired to be a volleyball coach when she was rather young, “I played volleyball, started in third grade. . . I had a very inspirational coach. She was my coach all the way through third grade and on. . . I wanted to just be like her. I knew for a long time that I was going to be a volleyball coach.” The girls on Henry’s team count on her to lead them in the right direction, just like her own coach did for her.

When asked about her most memorable moment of the season, Henry replied, “Our sweep against Saxony. We beat Saxony freshman, JV, and varsity all in two sets this season, which hasn’t happened in a long time. And I will say that we surprised a lot of people with that, which is kind of nice. They didn’t see it coming.” Henry also made sure to emphasize the fact that she enjoyed seeing the girls succeed, even if they did not win. Her favorite thing besides seeing the girls succeed and play well together is teaching them that it’s okay to lose. Henry likes to keep the players on their toes, use teamwork, and show good sportsmanship.

Many of the girls on the volleyball team have played for their entire high school career. Marisa Lanzotti mentioned, “I had always been playing at the beach and stuff all the time, and I loved it so I started playing. And now I have played all through high school.” Of the girls who have played every year since they have been in high school, they all claim to enjoy the game and cherish the relationships they have built over the years.

According to varsity player Karley Thomas, junior, the best part of being on the volleyball team is the relationships they get to create and the things the team goes through together, “It’s really fun being with the rest of the girls; you make new friends, meet new people. It’s a good time.” For the majority of the players on the volleyball team, making connections with teammates is a huge part of making the team work well.

The players on the varsity volleyball team at Cape Central believe that it takes a lot of work to make the team play the way they do. Their coach has taught them that success comes with hard work and perseverance and that she just wants to see them do well, “Seeing them succeed, teaching them . . . not just the volleyball part of it. . . but that it’s okay to win, and seeing them succeed. That’s just the best part.”