This past Tuesday, Enloe’s varsity volleyball team traveled by bus to Cardinal Gibbons High School, a private catholic school. While the Lady Eagles certainly held their own, the team took a hard-fought loss against the Crusaders. This was the team’s second match with Cardinal Gibbons, both of which ended in a score of 0-3. 

“We knew going into it, they’re a hard team,” says a player, who asks to remain anonymous. As we stood in the empty gymnasium, she explained the obvious and the more nuanced differences between the two teams. Aside from the obvious fiscal advantage of a larger sports budget, they also have a hand-picked team of recruited players from across the county, lured to the school by scholarship. Secondly, despite Gibbons having half the student population as Enloe (1277 vs 2505), they outnumbered the Eagles two-to-one on the court allowing them more subs. At Gibbons, 900 of those 1277 students participate in at least one sport according to the school website, in other words over 70% of the school. 

In the face of a disappointing loss, the players remained positive throughout and following the game. Every pass, bump, and serve was powered by passion and enthusiasm regardless of the scoreboard. Coach Jones concluded the event with a team huddle, encouraging their successes and critiquing where there was room for improvement. Within that circle of high school girls was a family, a sisterhood of sweat, tears, and grit that bonds the team together this season- through both the wins and the losses.