This year the Girls Volleyball team is having a successful season. On September 9, they won their first Eagle Invite.

The head varsity coach Mrs. Danielle Kowalkowski said, “For the first time, we have a solid group of girls who really have a passion for the sport.” Because the girls have a strong passion for playing the sport, they have been able to win the majority of their games. Coach Kowalkowski also sees the passion in her athletes she says, “They come to practice everyday with a goal in mind. They WANT to get better and work extremely hard to achieve their goals.”

Kowalkowski said, “We set multiple goals for the team at the beginning of the season.  One of them was to win our Eagle Invite, which we have never done.  It is a long day of volleyball, playing five matches, which takes a lot of focus and physical play. The girls went 5-0 that day, taking 1st.  This was just one display of passion and dedication for the sport and each other.” What made the volleyball team successful this year was their passion for playing volleyball and their ability to work as a team.

Their season this year was different compared to last years due to the seniors that graduated and new freshman trying out for the sport. Coach Kowalkowski said, “Over the past 4-5 years, the interest in volleyball has grown.  We had 110 girls try out for the program in August! The most ever.” The fact that more girls are trying out for the volleyball team is a good thing because it shows a growing interest in the sport. Coach Kowalkowski said, “Most of these girls played for me last year, so they bring back varsity experience and better knowledge of the game. This has helped our younger juniors get to the level we need to be at more quickly.” Not only did the interest in volleyball change this year, but also the younger juniors were gaining more experience and knowledge so they can also become better athletes for the upcoming season.

With the season coming to an end the Volleyball team has a record of 22-12 which is the best Leyden has ever had. They have their first round of regionals against Addison Trail on October 27 at 7pm. The girls have a strong score and are going to continue to work hard as a team and strive for better. They have won many of their games this season and will hopefully become more successful at the end of their season.