The hitter calls for the ball as her teammates go up for the block — the ball hits the arms of libero, also known as defensive specialist, Madison Meyer, ‘26, on the women’s varsity volleyball team. The crowd goes wild as her parents and teammates rush to congratulate her.
On Sept. 30, during a game against Lebanon High School, Meyer reached a milestone of 1,000 career digs. A “dig” is the act of receiving and controlling a powerful or spiked hit from the opposing team and placing it back in play.
“To get this accomplishment was such a rewarding moment for me,” Meyer said. “My initial reaction wasn’t ‘surprise’ because I have been working towards this since my freshman year, [but] I was just glad to be able to get there.”
This achievement is no small feat, and requires hard work and a supportive community. Meyer’s team and coaches helped support her in this journey.
“My coaches would change the lineup in between each match, [and] my teammates would let me get certain balls so I could reach this feat,” Meyers said. “I am so glad that they were with me on this journey to 1,000 digs.”
Because of the passion the players have to help each other reach their goals, they have developed strong relationships on and off of the court.
“One of my favorite traditions is going to get Starbucks with some of my teammates before games,” Kate Little, ‘26, said.
Team bonding presents the opportunity to grow a team’s spirits and connections, which can translate into better performance on the court.
“We are all very energetic and we have really good chemistry,” Natalie Smith, ‘29, said.
With each team being led by different student captains, players have learned to adapt to different people’s styles of leadership.
“Leadership looks different for everyone; find your way to contribute and support your teammates,” Little said.
Like with any sport, advice and constructive criticism from coaches and players also contribute to the team’s performance.
“The best piece of advice I have gained is to play like it’s match point every point, to basically make every point count,” Jilly Enia, ‘29, said.
Along with receiving advice, having a role model is important to improve a player’s game. It helps athletes strive for more, athletically and emotionally.
“I look up to Madison Kyle who is a fellow ECC libero on Lebanon’s volleyball team,” Meyer said. “She has been on varsity since her freshman year as well, and I have played against her all four years. She has also led the conference in digs every year.”
Having a strong bond between teammates can also lead to successful athletic careers. Offering advice and looking up to teammates shows how they appreciate each other.
“A piece of advice that I would give younger girls who are just starting volleyball is to never give up even if it seems challenging or you have a bad game or practice,” Yori Chamberlin, ‘27, said. “Shake it off, come back and work on the skills and become a stronger player.”