After losing its matches against Ozark and Jefferson City, the JV volleyball team hit its stride going 10-2-1.
The Bruins focused on maintaining their perfect record at home and finished out the season 12-4.
“We’re making a lot of improvement from the first game; we have come a long way,” junior Erica Beck said mid-October. “As a team goal we decided we wanted to win all our home games, which we have done so far.”
The Bruins’ success grew as the season progressed. Head coach Tatum Anderson said this continuous progress helped them achieve their perfect record at home.
“It was a great season for both teams,” Andersob said. “We have a very young team but also very talented. We are going to have a very promising and bright future.”
Each individual’s drive for varsity playing time contributed to the team’s excellent season. Beck said several of the players played in some varsity matches despite being on JV.
This created competition between the JV players to earn one of the six varsity sports during a match.
“There’s always competition,” sophomore Jessica Lambert said. “Competition brings us together. We want to fight to win and fight for spots, and so it bonds us.”
Anderson believes having a strong group of players right below the varsity pushed the varsity players to perform at a higher level. The JV players played a vital role in the continued improvement of the varsity team and the program as a whole.
JV is “definitely very important. Many of them are contending for
varsity spots and you’re only as good as what each other make each team,” Anderson said. “We have very tough and strong JV and varsity programs.”
But the contention for varsity spots throughout the season did not affect the team chemistry. Instead, Anderson said, it made the team stronger since they competed with each other in a positive way and encouraged each other on the court.
Competition “makes us stronger. These girls are very close outside of Rock Bridge so when they get on the court they are very supportive and encouraging of each other, and that’s the thing we really push with the girls,” Anderson said. “The JV help the varsity to perform well and helped them prepare for their matches while also building their foundations for the future.”
By Thomas Jamieson-Lucy