An important thing for any team to learn early on is that chemistry off the court can make all the difference on the court. At the start of the season, we were all good players, but something was missing. We didn’t fully trust each other yet. Our coach decided we needed some team bonding. At first, we all rolled our eyes a little, thinking it would just be cheesy activities. But it actually turned out to be one of the best things for our team.
We got together for a pumpkin carving night at one of our teammate’s houses. There were pumpkins, snacks, and a lot of silly jokes. It didn’t matter who made the prettiest design, it was just fun to hang out without uniforms or pressure. We talked, joked around, and realized how much we actually enjoyed being around each other outside of volleyball.
We also did a team painting night where we each made a prompt and put it into a bowl. Then we pulled out prompts and attempted to paint whatever we pulled out. Some prompts were funny while others were more serious. It didn’t look professional at all, but it made us feel like more of a family. We hung some of the paintings up in the locker room, and seeing them before games always reminded us that we were playing for each other, not just  ourselves.
That closeness we had gained during team bonding showed up in games. Our communication improved, we trusted each other on every play, and our energy stayed high even when we were down a few points. Team bonding taught us that volleyball isn’t just about hitting and serving, it’s about supporting, trusting, and enjoying the people you play with.

Gallery • 10 Photos

Ava Crocker

Junior Tadara Cooper starts to cut into her pumpkin.