Senior-heavy volleyball squad reaches bittersweet conclusion to fairytale season

Sweeping teams left and right, the varsity volleyball team taught the FVA a lesson with a  7-1 conference record. A veteran squad filled with senior talent, the Wildcats went into the playoffs as the number one seed and had eyes on a run to state. However, a loss to Manitowoc ended their season prematurely, but that doesn’t mean they went down without a fight. 

According to Coach Gillian Pakula, the sectional final loss was a tough one to swallow. 

“Manitowoc was a frustrating match as we didn’t have enough to pull through,” she said. “They ended up second in State, so our playoff loss was to a top team. It was great we got to the sectional final, but it's a little heartbreaking.”

However, one playoff loss does not erase the success the team had throughout the season. Senior Rachel Mueller sees the team’s one seed as a token of their hard work.

“Being the first seed in the playoffs really showed our determination and how we all had worked for the last couple of years to really make West a team people were nervous to play against,” she said. “West volleyball was always underestimated and every player on the team made that a reason to get better every day to make a name for our school.”

The team's deep playoff run and stellar conference record came despite a team distraught by unknowns about COVID-19 restrictions, and the possibility of not even having a season.

“Heading into the season, one of the team’s biggest goals was to avoid getting shut down due to the pandemic,” senior Natalie Johanknecht said. “We had to take extra precautions including no high fives and no contact huddles. Our efforts paid and no one had to be quarantined during the season.”

All sports were lucky enough to have a season, but Johankecht does wish there were fans to add intensity to the game.

“It was definitely an adjustment going from having a packed gym one season to limited fans this year,” she said. “One of the ways we were able to bring our own intensity and excitement was by cheering loudly and having lots of communication on the court. There were times when I could hear my voice echoing throughout the gym because of how loud I was yelling.”

However, bringing in fans for the playoffs brought a much better environment for the athletes. 

“The difference with fans was huge,” senior Morgan Yenter said. “It brought a lot more energy towards the game and it brought a sense of normalcy to the game just like past seasons.”

High morale and team unity between teammates led to a great overall season but was shortened due to the pandemic.

“We weren’t able to play our regular season length, and we had less time to work ahead of the season,” senior Eva Beeth said. “We couldn’t work on everything we wanted to.”

However many obstacles they had, team chemistry was a definite strength of the squad, and it paid off in the close games; it made this team different from any other.

“The team chemistry was something I feel most other teams didn’t have,” Mueller said. “Most of us had been playing together for years with the club, but we all were friends off the court and friendships didn’t feel forced when the season came around. With a lot of outgoing personalities, it made the team so much more fun to play with because we were never embarrassed or shy of being super loud when our teammates made great plays in practice and games.”

With such close-knit relationships with one another, the team was able to use their cohesiveness as an upper hand against opponents. 

“All of us are so close on and off the court and five out of the seven starters have started since sophomore year,” Yenter said. “This was a huge advantage because each and every year you could see all of us grow and develop into better players and a better team.”

A veteran squad also required Pakula to slightly shift her focus as a coach.

“I did not feel my role this season was as a teacher or instructor, but more of being a manager,” she said. “Many of these players have been in the program for so long and know the game and the system.”

With so many seniors, Pakula saw it as an advantage to their game. They were all ready to win and be successful.

“It was a blessing for us to have 10 seniors because they were all focused and were happy we had a season in the first place. They embraced each day with a hard-working mindset and followed all the precautions so we could get our chance on the floor.”

As a result, with so many leaving the program, Pakula hopes to rebuild for next season and looks forward to what’s to come.

“I'm excited and my role will change as a coach,” she said. “There will be a lot of new faces and we will start rebuilding. We go in trends and waves, and now we embark on a new chapter at the West volleyball program.”

Pakula wishes the seniors good luck in their future endeavors, and after working with them for years, there will be a tear shed of both sadness for letting them go, and being proud of what they have done and will achieve.

“It will be hard to move on; they have grown and matured as players and in character, and I can’t wait to see where they go because I know they will do great things,” she said.

Beeth reminisces the great memories with the team.

“There were tournaments we would go to and we would all drive there and stay at the hotels together,” she said. “Those were weekends I will never forget.”
By Zade Alzoubi

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue VII

April 30th, 2021