Following the win of the American Canyon varsity volleyball team in the Vintage vs American Canyon game, many students have shown both an interest in the sport and our fellow players. We were given the opportunity to interview two of the players who helped contribute to the victory against the Vintage Crushers: Maleia Magaoay and Isabella Avila.
Setters are often seen as a vital contributor to offense, and the person responsible for this job is none other than Maleia Magaoay. They’re just one of the many representatives of our Junior class.
Before starting a game, Maleia takes
on an optimistic state of mind for good luck, having pre-games also help with keeping up overall morale. During this season Maleia felt “Overwhelmed
sometimes catching up with homework.” Despite this issue, our setter was able to preserve adopting
the mindset of being a student before an athlete. Making sure to always keep up with classwork is equally as important as being a good role model
to younger athletes from Maleia’s perspective.
What motivates Maleia to keep on improving is her team: she noticed her team is motivated to win, so she wants to help contribute to their achievements.
Advice Maleia wants to give to underclassmen athletes is, “They should take the time to relax and let their body rest,“ and, “Try to spend a lot of time with their team since they’re going to be together a lot, and you want to have that connection on the court as well as off the court.”
Isabella Avila plays for Varsity at 16 in her Junior Year with the defensive position of Libero. They have actively played volleyball for over six years now, throughout middle school and high school. She has dedicated much time and effort to the sport, and with results to back it up as well. In October they made it onto the Napa Valley newspaper as they made the team for the all-league girl's volleyball squad. With this said, when asked about their work ethic and feelings towards this season they confidently replied that although their team may have had its share of struggles just like any other team, what made them different was that they persistently strived to make sure they overcame any issues they had. “We focused on our weaknesses instead of strengthening on what we are good at,” Avila says. Instead of ignoring the troubles or any faulty factors, they attacked them head-on without faltering. This is a strategy that has proven to work time and time again for these wolves who have won more games than lost, with a 24-7 overall score and 11-1 in league.
Before any game, Avila likes to tune out their worries and drown out any negative thoughts with music. The effect music has on others is extraordinary, with the way it completely transforms the mood of those around. It can calm you down, or make you feel on top of the world. Both of these ways are utilized by Avila and her team.
What makes you work so hard for volleyball? There's no I in team, and that's precisely what Avila believes in. A team needs everyone to contribute and do their job properly so that it can truly succeed. Without everyone trying their best, there will be no guarantee that everyone can have that victory. “My teammates, and knowing it's a team sport- that they need me. If I don't do my job then I don't have anything to contribute. Sports is all about contributing [to the team] and that's the reason you practice every day. ” This is why they practice so hard to hone their skills so often, keeping in mind that they must perform well for not only themselves but their team as well.
Seems stressful. How do you keep up with it all? “I think it is a struggle. Definitely managing volleyball and school just because it's such a big commitment, 5 days a week. Along with tournaments on the weekends. But I do feel like it's worth the sacrifice of less time for homework or less sleep sometimes. Because although I do have to push through hard times, at the end of the day I get to do something I love.”
What's important to take away from this is that although times may get difficult and things might seem impossible, in the long run, you’ll be happy you endured and kept fighting. As long as it's for something you love, you can do anything for it. Sports, music, academics, it's all within your hands. Try hard enough and it's yours. While practice may not make perfect, it does give you results and improvement. So don't stop halfway through anything, and keep going till the end!
Anything else you want to tell people? “Everyone should try out!!” Volleyball is an experience waiting for you to try it. Even though this season may have ended for the girls, there is always boys' volleyball in spring and girls' volleyball next year. Keep a lookout for any further announcements in your email!
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