Trailblazer Volleyball team overcomes challenges

From August to October, the
Trailblazer Volleyball team has battled for 40 games, and experienced competitive matches.

“It is a challenging year,” Coach Gary Sien said, adding that he is pleased with how the team has worked together throughout the season.

“[Reaching] to such a mental level does not depend on talent, but how much determination they would like to win,” Sein said. The team had gone through a lot and has been doing their best to reach goals.”

Other than a positive mentality, the ability to bounce back depends on how the team rallies. On the court, VU players’ smiling and positive attitudes melt the tensions. Players can often be seen clapping hands, cheering for each other, and tapping each other’s back in all moments regardless when the team scored or missed a ball. Sein commented that each player on the team would not encourage themselves, but support the whole group when things got tough.

“The whole team goes in a positive direction together, that’s the key to success, in any sport, any level. You can’t win by talent alone, it has to work with a team,” said Sein.

The volleyball players are close to one another off the court as well. Before school started, sophomore players, named as “big sisters,” had already asked coach for all the team members’ contacts to help out the new players with everything from training, to class registration to housing issues.

Sein appreciated that players established the culture of being responsible and considerate to the team, as that “brought everyone together and to be better,” he said.

Sein described volleyball as not simply a sport, but a chance to build a life-long relationships with players.

Lastly, Sein encouraged the team to keep going forward no matter what result might be.

Sein said he often reminds the team to “be tough and stay tough”

He added, “That is life. In your life, you have to reach challenges. You can do it.”