Varsity Boys Volleyball

Aiming High

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

From their latest proper competition, our Varsity Boys Volleyball team recently participated in the “AVSC” (Australia Volleyball School Cup), competing against various schools across Australia.

As they gear up for next terms volleyball season, this week we interviewed the members of the Varsity Boys Volleyball team to learn more about what it takes to play at a competitive level.

Like the Varsity Girls' Volleyball team from last week’s issue, the critical factor that makes the team within the Calamvale Wolves so successful is the importance of teamwork.

Volleyball is a sport that requires strong communication and coordination between team members. However, what is often looked over is the positions. From this, you might be wondering why the positions are crucial to the team?

“In Volleyball, there are five positions, all with a unique role. You have the pass hitters, opposites, middle blockers, setters and finally, liberos, who each play a small part in making a vast difference…”

“If one of these positions were to be removed, the whole team structure would fall apart. Without a middle blocker to block attacks from the other team or a pass hit to receive balls on serves to start an attack, the team wouldn’t be able to function correctly, and we wouldn’t win many games.”

The players emphasized that they must work together to ensure that the ball is passed accurately and efficiently. They also noted that they rely on each other for support, both on and off the court. When asked about the challenges of playing as a team, they explained that each player has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, but that these differences can be used to the team's advantage when everyone is working together towards a common goal.

The Varsity Boys' Volleyball team has constantly achieved success within our school. So you would think they would have a particular training routine to even reach this level, right?

“We don’t have a routine when training. The majority of our success comes from friendship. Mostly everyone in the team is friends on and off the court. Success means nothing unless you have a relationship with your team because, in the end, who are you even celebrating?”

Even with all these wins, there are always goals that pushes each of them to improve. If there weren’t any goals to achieve, what is there to build off and improve on?

“As a team, we aim to win as many games as possible and have fun with the sport. Within every sport, you play to win, but when you get very serious during a match, you tend to lose passion and joy for the game…”

There is always a fine line between passion and doing something because you must. It is a familiar feeling that almost everyone tries to avoid. With the Varsity Boys Volleyball teams' primary goal of enjoying the games they play, we decided to ask, “Why would having an ‘always have to win’ mentality impact your team?”

“Having that ‘always have to win’ mentality can impact your team in many ways. Some negative and some positive, but at the end of it all, when you step onto a court if you don’t have the need that desires to win, you have already lost the game…”

“It can be frustrating, though. Setting expectations of yourself that are ridiculously high can be very demoralising, especially when you miss that serve, shank that pass or forget to close the seam in the block. You kind of get down and upset.”

“But all in all, the mentality you have to win is a good one for the most part. Although having some level of competition is essential, having a passion for winning will let you play better than you thought you could and pull that extra weight to get your team over that last mile.”

Sport can be a challenging and competitive pursuit, requiring dedication, skill, and perseverance. Whether you are just starting out or have been playing for years, seeking advice from experienced coaches and athletes can be invaluable.

There is absolutely nothing you can do to change the fact that you lost. But what you can do is reflect on your mistakes. - Mr. Male

The best advice I’ve been given was by our coach during the AVSC competition last year. He simply told me that no matter how badly I thought I was playing, he had seen a massive difference from when I last played. - Ryan Argent

The best advice I had was ‘just play to win’. A lot of people want to play for fun and there’s no shame in just playing volleyball to have a good time but when you get to the higher levels the hunger to win gets even stronger. - Nicholas Bel

To finish this week's issue, the Varsity Boys' Volleyball team has a message and advice for those who are just starting to participate in the sport or are hesitant to join.

If you’re just starting out, keep it up. It’s a long path to success and you’re only just getting started on it. If you want to succeed and want to do well, you have to be determined to improve both your skills and your mentality. Enjoy what you do while trying your best to win. You only get one chance to have this kind of experience in high school.

Thank you so much to the Calamvale Wolves: Varsity Boys Volleyball team for giving some great advice that can be applied both on and off the court. As we look forward to the upcoming volleyball season, we should all take some of this advice to heart and aim to achieve our goals! We hope you join us next as we cover the Senior Varsity Boys' Basketball team.