Caption: The high school student volleyball players practice a classic spike and blocking technique during pre-season practice on Tuesdays. [by Dr. Cristina Meier]
By Benjamin Portella
The second semester sports are getting closer each day and the PACA Warriors already have their eyes focused on the upcoming volleyball season. Now that the soccer and basketball seasons have ended, more student athletes can focus on pre-season practice which has been taking place once a week since the beginning of the school year.
The volleyball team has been using this time to get back into shape, and to refine the volleyball techniques to start next season already prepared for their first game which will be in the beginning of the year.
According to Rafael Portella the first game of the season can be the most important to build confidence for the team, so the idea is to start the season with a win and maintain the sequence.
Last season, the varsity boys volleyball team had a big success to add to the records of AASB tournaments. They finished in second place at “Big Eight” which was the last of that type of tournament to occur at the NR location in São Paulo. Because of their ranking, they were invited to participate in the “Final Four” games which took place at PASB, the international school of Bahia in Salvador. At the end of that tournament, they were also able to bring a medal home, and got another second place.
Coach Leo Nogueira, who has been a volleyball coach at PACA for three years, sees the biggest challenge in getting his athletes prepared for the new season this year, is about specific positions on the team.
“The setters,” said Nogueira, “because before the setter had been there for three years. This year the setters will be making their debut. The leadership role will also change from last season because the captain has graduated.”
Even though the new volleyball teams will face these challenges and others, the confidence is high among the new and returning athletes. Players who already played last season bring experience, motivation from last year’s successful run.
A fundamental player from last season, Felipe Morales, is a senior at PACA and this will be his last time playing volleyball for PACA. He has a lot of expectations for the upcoming season.
“Some expectations that I have for the volleyball season is to go far in both the league and also in this new Nationals format,” said Morales. “The group stage format has changed and this can leave the tournament more exciting.”
Morales also expects the preparations for the upcoming games to go well.
“Overall the team is doing very good,” said Morales.
According to Morales, it is not just about having a good starting team but also a good bench, which brings a lot of playing options for the team, as a whole.
They are also looking forward to playing in the new Nationals tournament in late March of next year. It includes more teams and can make the tournament more competitive and more rewarding.
The team is coming together to prepare for next season. The hard work shown in the preseason is expected to pay off once the games begin in the second semester of the school year and their first game in early February.
