Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Girls Volleyball teams have ended their season this October. With this, junior Emily Banuelos, member of the Girls Junior Varsity (JV) Volleyball team, describes her history with the sport.

Her relationship with volleyball began in middle school, when she saw her older sister and cousin play the sport. After watching them play, Banuelos’ curiosity and interest in the sport grew at a rapid pace.

To pursue this interest of hers, Banuelos attended a volleyball camp. From the moment she entered the camp to the moment she left, her love for volleyball only “increased exponentially.”

After camp, Banuelos decided to join the Girls Volleyball team at Foothills Middle School in the seventh grade. This was the first official team she had ever played on, and she claimed that it was a “wonderful experience.”

To further her time with the sport, she made the decision to play for the AHS Girls JV Volleyball team. She contributes to the team as a right side hitter, otherwise known as an opposite hitter.

Banuelos talked with obvious joy and excitement when questioned about volleyball, making it evident that she treasured the sport greatly.

“I’m obsessed with this sport because it acts as an outlet for me to channel my stress since I don’t remember my worries about academics when I play,” Banuelos stated. “Volleyball is also a way for me to create bonds with other people who I have never met before, so social interaction is truly a benefit of playing volleyball.”

Over the years, she has accumulated plenty of memories; however, when asked what her all-time favorite one was, she answered with “early morning tournament games.”

“Although a lot of people don’t like waking up early and going to practices and games when the sun is barely out, I think that the most important moments between the team happened then,” expressed Banuelos. “I remember that for one tournament we woke up really early to attend an away game, and we ended up placing second in the entire tournament. Even though it wasn’t first place, the trip and the hard work during the game was worth it because we got to collaborate with one another. Also, we were able to celebrate together on the way home.”

COVID-19 posed a great challenge to all sports in the 2020-2021 school year, in addition to the current 2021-2022 school year due to the safety protocols and the mask mandate.

“The team basically lost a season in 2020-2021 because of the pandemic, so it just meant that we would have to work that much harder to get back to where we were prior to the lockdown,” said Banuelos. “We also had to take COVID-19 tests pretty often to ensure that we were COVID negative and safe to play. I’m glad that there were precautions in place though.”

Of course, it is not an easy feat to juggle schoolwork, your social life, extracurriculars, and school sports. So how did Banuelos do it?
“It’s all about balance,” Banuelos said. “You need to prioritize certain things such as studying for tests for AP classes, but it is also important to spend time with your friends and family. I wasn’t able to get everything done all the time; however, I think you should just try your best and check in on yourself from time to time to know when you need a break.”

The season ended for the AHS Girls JV Volleyball team on Oct. 14. Great work to the AHS Girls Volleyball teams!