Although the middle school beach volleyball season has come to an end, team members continue to reflect on their roles and connections on the team. The season kicked off with a game against New Roads Feb. 28 and ended with the team placing fourth in the PBL quarterfinals against Calvary Christian April 14.
The team practiced on the Annenberg courts at the Santa Monica State Beach after school on Mondays and Wednesdays. Co-captain Isabella Sklaver (‘29) said the team started off every practice with dynamic exercises to warm up their bodies, ensuring no one gets injured.
“We do some running drills to get our blood pumping, and then we go into serving and warming up our arms,” Sklaver said. “Then we go into either playing or we do some partner work, meaning we’ll play defense, and then have to win some rallies before we can actually play.”
Tara Gohill (’30) has been playing volleyball for two years on the middle school beach volleyball team and also plays indoor. She said that although playing indoor and beach are different, she enjoys both in their own ways.
“[In beach volleyball] I like how you are on the sand, so it’s easier to dive in. There’s also only two people, so there is more land to cover, but it’s more fun,” Gohill said. “In normal volleyball, I like the position I play.”
Sklaver has been playing volleyball for seven years, and she agrees that both styles of volleyball are different but fun in their own ways. She said beach volleyball can be more challenging at times, however.
“[Beach volleyball] is a lot about strategy. Indoor is more about power and how fast I can hit the ball. In beach it is all about placement, because [there are] only two people on the court, so there’s always going to be a space open, and so it’s whether you can find that space and utilize it,” Sklaver said. “So I feel like that’s a tough part, because if one person is not very good at passing, they’re going to target that person.”
Co-captain Madeline Beckett (’30) said the team had to cheer each other on in order to stay positive and upbeat despite challenging moments.
“Honestly, just cheering on your teammates is the best way to bounce back,” Beckett said. “Because then you just both encourage each other.”
Sklaver said one of Archer’s core values is for students to lift each other up. She said this value can apply to volleyball because if one of the younger players is feeling down, it is the older players’ responsibility to cheer them up.
“I try to tell the younger girls, because I’m the only eighth grader, that it’s a team sport. Although there are only two people on the court, it doesn’t really seem like it’s a team sport,” Sklaver said. “You have to rely on the other person, and the other person has to rely on you. So it’s good to just let them know that they’re not alone, so not all the pressure is on them.”
When asked about advice for a student trying beach volleyball for the first time, Gohill encouraged the student to be resilient and never give up.
“I would say [to] give it your all,” Gohill said. “Don’t give up, because if you give up, you will never be able to succeed.”
Reflecting on their season, Gohill and Sklaver said one of their favorite experiences on the team was when they had to practice in the rain.
“At first I was really mad because I did not want to go, but it turned out to be really fun because it was like a team bonding experience,” Sklaver said. “I got to bond with other players that I hadn’t talked to before, and those friendships are now blooming not just at the beach, but at Archer.”
