After a 4-18 record last year, the girls varsity volleyball team have improved their record to 11-9-1 and have districts this week. They have a new assistant coach added to the coaching staff, Westin Roy, who has helped the team stay focused and improve.
“I like Mr. Roy. He’s very nice, and he is really good at volleyball,” sophomore Tariah Harris said. “I feel like my team needed someone who has the experience to coach us to play better.”
Roy played volleyball at Maryville University before becoming an English teacher and coach at North. This experience has helped him raise the level of play for both the varsity and JV teams.
“I feel like he really pushes us to our fullest potential at practice every day and that plays out at games,” sophomore Ellanee Nieto said
Both Harris and Nieto began playing because their moms encouraged them to play, but now that they are playing and are seeing the improvements in the team, they are enjoying it.
“My mom wanted me to get into some type of sport, and she gave me the idea to start playing. I was already looking into it because I like the technique and it’s really fun to me and I love it,” Harris said.
Roy teaches players technique and helps them understand the value and importance of teamwork and teaches them that respect plays a big role.
“One of the things I teach outside the sport of volleyball is to always have a positive attitude and to treat your teammates with respect because if you show respect, you get respect,” Roy said.
“I like Roy as a coach. He is a very fun and sassy coach. He is really good at volleyball and encourages us to play our best,” Nieto said.
Playing a team sport means being able to work together and be a team player, but success also depends on the players improving their individual skills while being able to play both defense and offense.
“He also is a strict coach and doesn’t play around when it comes to volleyball because he expects that we really want this and want to go forward with this. which is what we need so that we stay on track and have a great rest of the season,” Harris said. “[Roy] shows us how to be a better defensive and offensive player in games and in practice. He shows us how to have good sportsmanship off and on the court as well as being supportive to our team.”
The team practices from 3:30 to 5:50 p.m. Monday – Friday. During practice, they condition and train.
“Being a part of a team allows you to come together and meet new people and make bonds with people you never thought you would talk to on a day to day basis at school,” Harris said.
The next game will be on Oct. 23 at 4:30 p.m. against Fort Zumwalt South, where they hope to continue their winning season.
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