This late August was the beginning of the 2025 season for girls volleyball. Here’s everything the team hopes to accomplish this season, from what they hope to achieve and how they believe the season will unfold.
Sophia Mitry, Paige Prochnow, and Isabella Snow, players for the varsity team, said that they believe that with enough practice and determination, the season will go well for the girls.
“I just hope that at the end of the year, we’re playing our best volleyball,” Head Coach Jeff Blezien said. “Whatever happens at the end of it is what happens.”
“I think the beginning of the season, because we have so many new people,is going to be more challenging than it has been in the past because of the new people that don’t have varsity experience,” Assistant Coach Willis said. “We have to learn how to play a faster game, we have to learn how to play with each other. Some people have never played together before, so finding the teamwork and communication, that’ll take some time. But, I think by the end of the season, we’ll be able to pull it all together and come out with some wins and hopefully get another regional title.”
Willis said that the end goal for the season is to make it to the second round sectionals, since the Mustangs were knocked out in the first round last season.
Coach Blezien is most proud of how this team treats one another both on and off the court.
Coach Willis said, “I just absolutely love how they support each other because, as coaches, we talk about how volleyball is a game of errors and whatever team makes the fewest will win.” She added that she observes the players uplifting each other when they make mistakes and ultimately giving them the confidence to try harder, which she likes.
Coach Willis stated that there is always room for improvement and that they try to play for each other. That way, they can all improve together as a team.
“Everyone wants to start, everyone wants to do things, but at the end of the day, you’ll be more successful if you play for the person next to you instead of for yourself,” stated Coach Blezien. He further stated that if everyone goes in with that mindset, the whole team will be successful.
“Not a lot of students come out to our games and that makes the atmosphere [bland],” Mitry said. She further explains that the lack of student support at the games causes the team’s morale to be lowered, which inadvertently affects the team, and that is what she believes could be done better.
“Biggest piece of advice [is] number one is always just try your best, number two is listen to coaching, and number three is be willing to make mistakes because to play better, you need to make mistakes,” Coach Blezien stated. He said that all of this combined helps a player become better over time.
”Don’t be afraid to try. It’s ok to make mistakes,” Coach Willis added. She said that, although this is simple, it is effective.
“Stick with it,” Prochnow stated. Since volleyball is a game of mistakes, like Coach Willis stated, people shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes. She said that making those mistakes and learning from them is the best way to learn and get better.