Varsity:
OHS is full of driven and dedicated sports teams; a definite standout is the girls beach volleyball team. The team is jumping right into the season with enthusiasm after coming off a 3 peat championship win and is full of hard working girls who will stop at nothing to bring OHS the 4 peat title.
Beach volleyball is a sport in which you must have drive and determination to be successful. With there only being two players on the court at once it can be difficult to stay in the game, which is why the OHS beach team works hard on their mental game.
“It [beach volleyball] has taught me that you can’t take yourself out of the game because there is no sub so you have to work through it,” said Kaiya Kearney, junior.
Beach volleyball is a sport that requires athletic skill and being able to overcome the mental parts of the game.
“Beach has been a really mentally challenging sport because there aren’t as many people so it really drives me to be a stronger individual,” said Mckenna Smith, freshman.
In order to be successful on the court it’s important to learn the strategy required to find triumph.
“It’s a lot of strategy because it’s 2v2 so if you figure out the other person’s game and how they play, you can pretty much beat any team,” said Delaney Singleton, junior.
More importantly, to find success during games it’s important to have good team chemistry.
“We have a really good culture, we are really unified and everyone likes each other on the team,” Singleton said .
With beach volleyball being a team that is very competitive it could mess with the team bond; but not for the OHS beach team
“Even though not everyone can be in the line up, everyone supports each other and cheers each other on and everyone wants everyone to succeed,” Kearney said.
JV:
Stepping up to play on such a competitive team can be a challenge, but the OHS JV team partakes in intense training to help them prepare for the difficult matches they will face.
“[Beach volleyball] has taught me to not get in my head because if you get in your head you will mess up more,” said Kara Hoppenworth, freshman.
Similar to the varsity team, the mental game that beach players must face is not easy and takes serious grit to overcome.
“You need to be able to control your emotions, because it’s really hard and it does take a big toll on your body,” said Addison Duckwiler, sophomore.
Not only does beach teach both mental and physical skill, it also is a community that lasts a lifetime.
“It’s really fun and you meet more people and you learn so much while also making friends at the same time,” Hoppenworth said.
For the future of the JV team they share the same goals and drive as the varsity team and have high expectations and hopes as time goes on.
“In the future I hope to win a lot, and win the 4-peat,” Hoppenworth said.
