Regardless of the final outcome of this volleyball season, the team will be stronger when it finishes than when it started. Coach Judith Harris has provided multiple team bonding experiences, starting the season with a team sleepover at the school, and this weekend traveling to Huntsville to watch Sam Houston State University take on Stephen F. Austin State University.

“I was really excited when we found out we were going on this trip,” senior Jaycee Harris said. “College volleyball is one of my favorite things to watch. This is also good for team bonding because it brings all of our three teams together as one.”

This has been a very important part of the program this year for Coach Harris. The team also participates in a video curriculum called “Two Words,” which gives the team a phrase to help them grow in character together. The team watches it every Friday after watching film in the morning.

The trip followed up the girls’ first game against Franklin. While the girls lost the game, they played well, and with the trip, were able to rebuild morale.

The trip was not only put on by the coaching staff, however. Parents pitched in to help get the girls to the game and were welcome to come and help chaperone.

“We as parents just talked to Coach Harris about taking the girls to a college volleyball game, and she said she could get tickets for the girls for a Sam Houston game,” parent Amanda Sanders said. “I think this is a really good experience for the girls because it shows them what teams on a higher level do and what is required of them if they want to move on to volleyball after high school.”

Bonding is one of the most important things that teams can do. It’s important because a team that doesn’t get along won’t be successful because they can’t rally together to pull out seemingly impossible wins. This is one of the best things about this year’s Lady Bison volleyball team. Several times this season the girls have come together to battle back from behind to win, and getting along together goes a long way towards making that happen.

Part of this is being an active part of the game even when on the bench.

“It’s really fun to be the one to pick my team up during games,” junior Alexia Dittman said. “I love to be loud and it just kind of fits. I like to help my team in whatever way that I can, so if cheering them on and encouraging them is the way to do it, then that’s what I want to be doing.”

Dittman touches on an important part of team bonding: every role is important. Every coach will tell you that everyone has a role, from the waterboys and the bench warmers to the starting players. This is another reason why the varsity can bring themselves back the way that they do. Because everyone is always trying to perform their role to the best of their ability, from Alison Bing stuff-blocking hits on the net, or Abby Brewer picking the floor apart and being smart with placement, or Dittman cheering them on, everyone is doing what they need to do to help each other be successful.

“Doing things together like going to watch the Sam Houston teams play is very exciting,” junior Alyncia Dittman said. “I loved watching them work hard and loved spending time with my team.”