CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For high school athletes who did have the opportunity to play their sport this past fall semester, despite it being significantly different, we heard from athletes who didn't express remorse or bitterness.
Instead, a lot of gratitude and grace: something we certainly saw and heard in several of our area volleyball players and coaches, in what turned out to be a season quite unlike any other.
Richard King High School
Before entering the gym at King High School in Corpus Christi, volleyball players not only had to mask-up, but also scan a QR code that would check them in and also help monitor for COVID symptoms.
"When a kid enters the gym, they have a QR code that they scan and they answer all the COVID-19 questions to make sure that they don't have any of the symptoms. They'll follow the rules because they know how quickly their season can be taken away," said head coach Maddie Mojica.
This is Mojica's 5th year as head coach for the volleyball team. While the pandemic has led to some major adjustments at school, practice and at games, she shared that her girls handled the changes well.
In addition to the COVID-19 safety protocols, there was another change to practice this season that was a bit more welcome: journaling.
Mojica explained with the extra weight the pandemic has brought on everyone's lives, it wasn't enough for her girls to just be physically strong.
"I really wanted to make sure my kids were getting the mental side of the game, the emotional side of the game, not just the physical. So, we took on journaling!"
"I really like it personally! We can reflect on it," said sophomore Harley Guerra, who plays all-around for her team.
"It acts as a reminder before games what we really play for and what our real motivation is," added sophomore middle-blocker Lillian McCoy.
This year the King volleyball team had no seniors, meaning Mojica will fortunately get to work with the same group of girls again next season. The players shared they're thankful for that as well, but that they made sure to take advantage of every second they were out on the court.
"It makes me think of how I could have been in that position and have your senior season taken away from you. A lot of people lost their opportunities at getting seen by colleges and getting scholarships," said McCoy.
Tuloso-Midway High School
The 2020 volleyball season was Tuloso-Midway Head Volleyball Coach, Jamie Gill's, 9th year with the district. She shared that one of the most difficult challenges this year was keeping up with the ever-evolving updates to U.I.L rules and regulations.
"There's no routine. It makes it very difficult for someone who likes to have everything structured," said Gill. "We're willing to do whatever we have to do to be able to be on the court. They're [the players] playing like it's their last."
"We really had to focus on setting a new set of new norms, wearing face masks, sanitizing a lot, sanitizing the balls after every practice," said Kyla Cooper, a senior defensive-specialist.
There is at least one thing however that remained the same this season: you've got to pass to play.
"She [Gill] really does push us to have our grades high and sets us to a very high standard, so we try to focus on that during the volleyball season," Cooper said.
Despite the challenges, frustrations, and difficult moments brought on by the pandemic, the players and proud coach shared they've never been more grateful to play.
"It's been this whole long journey together," said senior defensive-specialist Amaris Aumada.
"This whole pandemic has really brought us closer. We really grew a new team bond and respect for each other," said Cooper.
Sinton High School
It's year 3 as SHS Head Volleyball Coach for Michael Trujillo. Overall, he’s coached the sport for 14. In that time, he's seen and worked through a lot. The pandemic though, was a different beast.
"We really had to look at that with a microscope. I knew it would look different, but we would still get to play," Trujillo said.
"We really had to re-think and re-work our drills and even how kids arrive, how they ride on buses, in the locker rooms. So every little thing we were used to or took for granted we had to kind of think of how to make that work well with the pandemic and just getting used to that."
Trujillo said his girls took on the various challenges of the season with an open mind and eagerness to play; counting also on his team captains to set good examples on and off the court now more than ever.
“Be smart outside of school, and athletics, and everything, you know. Be smart out in the public. Wear your mask,” said Courtney Hesseltine, libero and one of the senior captains for the team. “Let’s just be thankful we have this moment, because within a blink of an eye, it could be gone. So, play your best game. All the time.”
Game-time was also a different environment altogether. While things remained fast-paced on the court, it was a different energy beyond the sidelines.
The amount of tickets granted per player depended on a gym’s capacity limits. Often those tickets went to immediate family members, which the girls shared they were grateful for, but that they missed getting to hear their fellow classmates and rowdy student sections cheering them on.
“We get energy off of the fans and only to have like two or four fans, it’s just different, you have to feed off of the benches and off of the court for your energy,” said Autumn Moses, also a senior team captain and six-rotation outside hitter.
Trujillo said the gym was cleaned each time between matches on game day, bleachers marked off for social-distancing, fans would need to wear masks… etc.
And just like the players, several parents and loved ones also rose to the challenge and changes this year, by cheering proudly for their team.
Although repping different teams, from different towns, when asked what their advice would be for underclassmen or other athletes in general, the girls and coaches seemed to share the same sentiment:
“Never take it for granted,” said Harley Guerra (King HS).
“Trust the process,” said Lillian McCoy (King HS).
“Take advantage of every moment that you have,” said Emma Thomas, senior captain and outside hitter for Sinton HS.
“One of the things I’ve said a lot this year is to have a 1-0 mentality everyday. Win the day mentality, but also you don’t know when that day is your last day, so you wanna win that day and make sure you take advantage of it,” Trujillo said.
"If I could say something to my seniors and parents, it would definitely be thank you,” said Coach Gill. "Thank you for trusting me as their coach, supporting this program, but most importantly supporting everything we’ve had to do to have a senior season for their girls."
Congratulations to each of these teams on what turned out to be successful and truly historic seasons for their volleyball programs. We thank them for allowing us to share a glimpse of how they navigated a season unlike any other amid the pandemic.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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