Kaela Raquel has been playing volleyball for four years, with this being her first year on varsity. Through these four years, she has improved past her expectations and inundated herself deep into the team culture.
“My position really depends on the day, but I am an outside opposite defensive specialist and also a pin hitter,” Raquel said. “I hope that through these past couple years I’ll be remembered most for the grit that I brought and the drive to get better every single day. I brought a lot of determination and heart to this program and was ready to go every single time we played or practiced, and truly, I have always been doing anything to benefit the team.”
Raquel entered the season very excited, and thoroughly enjoyed it, yet she still feels bittersweet about it.
“Knowing that this was my last season playing with this team was definitely bittersweet,” Raquel said. “I think that we kind of entered a new era with this specific team, and knowing that I was kind of there to experience it and there to share it with these younger girls was profound to experience.”
Although she had mixed feelings about the season, Raquel was able to come up with one major take away from this experience.
“It was definitely the season where I laughed the most, I’ll say that,” Raquel said. “One memory that stuck out from the season was from right before a game when me and fellow senior Athena Trewyn were just kind of playing around with the ball and trying to pancake it. It was really funny, so funny that we spent like five minutes laughing on the floor and weren’t able to get up. I promise you it was like a full five minutes straight, and it is honestly a memory I’ll always treasure.”
Raquel wasn’t the only one having a great time. The positive team culture was one of the biggest factors in the team’s success this season.
“Something that’s different from previous years is that we are all friendly with each other and all have a good time together,” Raquel said. “We all laughed together and got to bond as a team, which is different from past seasons and really special. I think that it played a good part in our team’s success.”
As a four year member of the team, Raquel shares a special bond with her senior teammates.
“I think that one thing that stands out about my class is how dedicated we all are,” Raquel said. “This stood true for everyone no matter if they played on the court or were in a manager position. All of us have been here for all four years and are excited to culminate together.”
If Raquel had the opportunity to speak to her freshman self, she’d have a lot to say.
“If I could tell my freshman self one thing before my first game, I would tell her to savor the experience and enjoy every moment,” Raquel said. “And also to realize that there’s so much ahead of her and it is really important to take a step back to observe instead of always remaining close to what’s happening. I would tell her to breathe, and overall just enjoy the experience.”
