This year’s girls’ volleyball team has been delivering nothing but amazing performances full of successful plays and good sportsmanship. As a Division 1 team with a current record of 10-8, there were many obstacles and pressures along the way to continue to perform well; however, due to strong leadership–specifically the team captains–this was not a problem. Senior Abigail Lee is one of the three captains who have led this year’s team to the successes that they have achieved so far.
Lee began her volleyball journey around seventh or eighth grade, courtesy of her father, who “tried to get me into it when I was younger.” Lee described it as a journey because “I wasn’t really into it at all. Then, high school came around, and I tried it out. I didn’t really like it, and I still don’t really like it,” stated Lee. Given that she is one of the team captains, this may be confusing as to why she took on the role. However, Lee quickly followed with she stayed “because the people make every part of it worth it.”
During her time as captain, Lee has served as an inspiration for both her fellow teammates and the Girls’ Volleyball division as a whole due to her impressive and diverse range of skills on the court. Due to her versatility on the court, many questions have arisen regarding how the team will look next year. “She plays a lot of positions on the court, so it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how the chemistry will be without her on the court next year,” stated junior Gabriella Lemus.
However, her teammates are confident that Lee’s absence next year will not be a “bad thing, but rather I feel like she will be leaving a lasting impact on all of us since we’ve been watching her closely and learning from her,” stated junior Avani Chhetri.
A team’s chemistry, however, is not just characterized by their abilities and successes on the court: ensuring a strong bond beyond their shared interest in volleyball is crucial, and Lee has done everything in her power to do so. “Abigail knows what the expectations are for our program, and she’s been the face of the program since she was a sophomore, so she’s our most experienced girl,” stated Head Coach Dan Jurkowski.
Jurkowski, who has known Lee since she was in fifth grade, recognized how much she has grown as an individual throughout her high school career and applied this growth to the team. “She’s really finding her voice now, whereas when she was younger, she was sometimes unsure if she should speak up and say something. But she’s really stepped into her leadership role since she knew that she had to be the one to speak up, and she’s done a great job and it’s great to see her get more comfortable,” followed Jurkowski.
While Lee does uplift her team in every aspect, as captain, it is still her respectable duty to ensure that the team plays at its full potential as often as possible. One thing that Lee wants the team to improve on as they continue to States, and after she graduates, is to “stop playing down to another team’s level.” Lee describes this mindset as “so if we know that another team is worse than us, we might play down to them, but we can just continue playing up and better than them even when we know that they’re bad.”
Regardless of their techniques when playing, the odds have still been in their favor this season given their record, however, Lee’s deep concern and care for her team is prevalent as she encourages them to play at their best so all their hard work and commitment is not in vain.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see the dynamic shift in the team without the presence of veterans like Lee. One thing for certain, though, is that even though Lee will not physically be there, her characteristics and character will live through her teammates. “We’re just like a big family, always on the same page, and that’s both on and off the court,” stated Lee.
High school volleyball will soon be at the rear end of Lee’s journey, but due to her immense growth throughout her high school years, it is safe to say that she will carry her skills and successes into her next chapter.
