Harrisburg High School’s volleyball team began their season in August with tryouts, and they have been practicing ever since. Ronette Costain, who has been the head coach at HHS for 25 years, stated that her goals for this year are “to help the team be the best they can be. I hope that we can get a full season of the girls playing hard and making memories, playing the game they love with their friends.” Every girl on the team has a strong passion for playing, and they put in full effort whenever they play. “I enjoy playing the sport because I absolutely love the adrenaline rush that I get while playing. Volleyball has given me my closest friends,” Hannah Healy, who is a senior on the team, commented.
However, amid COVID-19 taking over much of our daily lives, many people wonder if the season will get cut short. In order to stop this from happening, the team is taking precautions. Liz Dierks, who is another senior, identified some changes: “Because of COVID-19, our games look a little different. We have limited family attendance as of right now, and players not in the normal rotation have to wear masks on the bench.” As well as this, senior Mercedes Covrig said: “Before and after rotating in and out of the game, we must put on hand sanitizer and we must maintain social distancing.” Masks are also required on the bus. With extra measures taken, Coach Costain hopes to keep cases and issues to the very minimum so the team can continue to play the sport they love.
Even with these precautions changing the game, Costain and the girls are keeping their heads up. Hannah expressed, “I predict we are going to have a pretty good season. We will face our ups and downs, but in the end, we will be successful.” Liz also believes they have a very good chance at making it to State. Everyone is keeping a positive attitude; even amidst these strange circumstances, Costain said, “We are just happy to be here and able to play.”