“At Northwood, I’ve played lacrosse for three years and I’ve also played soccer, flag football, tennis, basketball, softball and there’s probably more that I’m just not thinking of. But I chose to stay with volleyball because I just really like the game. I love the pace of it, and I really enjoy how fast it goes. Volleyball is also one of those sports where you can only get better through practice. It’s not so much a natural talent thing. Especially for my other sports, I would definitely say that compared to the general teams I’ve been on, I’ve always been the best. But at Northwood, our programs are pretty good this year. And so, not being the best is also nice because it pushes me to get better.”

– Joi Li #2

“I’ve been on varsity for four years and watching how the team and I grew from my freshman year to now was really cool. We’ve been through a lot this season and to see our efforts culminate in that one moment when we won League was really nice. I’d encourage anyone to join volleyball because it builds your confidence as a person, not just as an athlete. It really shapes your social skills since it’s such a collaborative sport. That team dynamic in volleyball is really not like any other sport because you need every single player on the team for every play. There’s no way for one player to completely play for the team.” 

– Olivia Cai #6

“Being a senior feels weird, like I’m still supposed to be a junior or an underclassman. I’ve been playing volleyball for seven years total and I learned a lot of who I am based off of volleyball. It’s just always been there for me throughout this entire journey through school. So I’m definitely gonna miss having an outlet of friends and having this sport to rely on. There’s so many exciting moments I want to remember. Like during this season, I got to play outside twice. That’s not a position I usually play because normally I play back row, but I got a kill, which was so exciting.”

– Lindsey Kung #3

“The friendships that I’ve made have kept me in this sport since middle school. I know that sounds corny, but these girls are really awesome. We’re just like a little family. I’m really going to miss things like Lindsey braiding my hair every game. I call it ‘Hair by Lindz’ because she does it, I swear, every game. She braids my hair and then she braids everyone else’s and it’s so cute when we all have matching hair. And on the bus rides from when we come home from away games, we sing the alma mater. We always start singing at the second stop sign coming in, and by the end we’re cheering white, silver and navy blue.”

– Grace Carmichael #16