Winter sports are in the beginning of their seasons, which means fall sports season have come to a close. However, some fall sports can be played year round through club organizations. Some athletes choose to participate in this while others do not. Junior Kinley Block takes advantage of club volleyball each winter.
Block is a member of a club volleyball team. Club volley is a step up from a high school team. It is essentially a group of girls from different schools, private or public, that is picked by a coach from a club organization. The players are divided into teams based on age.
“My favorite part is getting to play with different people. It’s a new look at volleyball because you are so confined to the people in your school in school volleyball, but with travel, you get to play with so many different people from many different schools,” said Block.
Block has been involved with travel volleyball for about five years. She is a server and takes serving and passing very seriously. She plans on improving her abilities as a defensive specialist and working on her serves. Over the course of the school season, she has tremendously improved on serving, passing and keeping the ball in the court.
“Serves win games, and I am blessed to be able to continue to work on them in the offseason. Passing is a very crucial part of volleyball. When you are hit or served a ball, the entire approach begins with one pass, then one set and one hit. It takes everyone, but it starts with a good pass,” said Block.
Block is very passionate about the game and encourages people who want to play volleyball to not let anyone else’s opinion change their mind. She also encourages volleyball players to be good, supporting teammates and to lift up each other when something goes wrong instead of yelling at them.
“It’s one thing if you don’t really like the sport, but it is another thing if you let someone else dictate your decision. Being a teammate is crucial. Lift each other up and take the time that is necessary to be a team. It works out better in the long run,” said Block.
Story by Angie Ceja
