On Tuesday, the Pleasant Valley administration allowed students to miss school and travel to Cedar Rapids to support the girls’ volleyball team and bring school spirit to the quarterfinals.
In addition to their victory during the quarterfinal game on Tuesday, students were able to bring their energy to the semifinal game on Thursday as well.
Many thought it was important to cheer on the girls, as this is the first time they have made it to state in six years. The administration allowed students to sign a permission slip in advance to travel on a fan bus to Cedar Rapids.
Senior Cecilia Zavala attended the semifinal game on Thursday and loved the support she saw from students. “I think it is important for students to go support any team when it comes to going to state because as a senior, it is most likely one of the last times I’m going to see some of my best friends play volleyball,” she said.
Zavala stated not many students attended volleyball games last year, but students have become more supportive this year after the administration created this opportunity. “A couple players told me they like when people show up because it makes them feel like they’re making the school proud,” she said.
The atmosphere of the crowd made the team feel good and everyone could sense the excitement between each section. The encouragement the students gave helped the athletes’ confidence as they played.
The girls gained more confidence after seeing the number of students that came to support them, and Hoskins stated they played better with a larger crowd. “Volleyball is a sport of energy, and with a crowd cheering us on every point and every play, it gave us so much energy and confidence to go out there and win,” Hoskins said.
Sara Hoskins and other members of the team were excited to see the number of students who came to cheer them on during a challenging game. “We didn’t realize so many people were coming, so it was honestly just a great surprise walking onto the court to warm up and seeing almost the whole school there supporting us,” she said.
The volleyball team ended their season on Thursday with a loss against West Des Moines Valley, but they fought hard and wouldn’t have made it this far without the support of their community and classmates.
