Showing up to practices, pushing through challenging games and working through mental blocks, senior middle blocker Liliana Gegovic, center junior Liliana Tripi and right side senior Gina Fedrigo help improve the team.
“Many underclassmen look up to these girls for the players and teammates they are,” coach Caitlin LaPratt said. “They are amazing leaders for any of these girls to look up to.”
Pushing each other to be their best on the court, the recruits are perceived as the team leaders. Showing up to all practices, pushing through hard games and encouraging their teammates help make the team grow together. Allowing their teammates to rely on them, it brings the team through challenging games and practices.
“It sets a bit of a tone giving the girls motivation by seeing us as a role model, it makes them push harder to achieve personal and team growth,” Fedrigo said.
With the girls taking such a big step in their career, they have become a role model to their teammates. Being only a couple girls on the team committing to a school, the other players look at their talents and sets a bigger desire and more motivation in the sport.
“I tend to rely on them and it just shows a sense of leadership. It really helps our team bridge through hard games, tough practices and mental blocks by just having them there to help us through those moments,” back row junior Rease Buza said.
Making sure their teammates are pushing their limits during games and practices,keeping them on track to practice efficiently and making sure they’re all being supportive of people’s achievements, helps the team grow together by bringing them closer as a team.
“Being a part of this team, now, is a big role to try to hold everyone accountable and to push everyone to their hardest to prove what I know they can be,” Gegovic said.
With the girls going next level with volleyball, the team tries to push themselves to be the best they can be. Viewing it as a privilege to play with teammates who will represent colleges rather than high schools, trying to live up to their expectations to show their best.
“Trying to make time for school and sports was a little stressful. A lot of people commit early and I need to find out where I’m going to go. But I think the timing was right and it all worked out how I hoped it would’ve, and it was all really exciting,” Tripi said.
Putting in hard work by showing up, being motivative, treating everyone like a whole to be a role model for their team, the girls have someone there for them. Feeling like it’s a privilege to play with these recruits, they push through more and succeed in volleyball together.
“Its very special to us because not everyone gets this privilege, were all so proud of them and their successes in moving forward in volleyball,” middle blocker junior Tessa Orht said.
