Volleyball keeping spirits up

Positivity was the word surrounding Washington volleyball practice this week.

Despite opening the season 0-14, the attitude around the team is staying high, as they feel they are on the cusp of earning a win and making some noise in the second half of the season.

?The scores don?t show it, but being on the court as players, we can see that everything has improved so much,? Washington senior Liv Postl said. ?We all know we are doing better.?

That improvement on the court has also been seen by the first-year head coach, Lexa Mahr, who said she is impressed with the way her squad is handling the tough start to the season.

?They could decide to give up, and I?m so thankful that these girls are on the team,? Mahr said. ?They have a good attitude and want to win. We are trying out different lineups and hopefully we?ll get that first win.?

A large part of the positivity comes from the three seniors on the team, Postl, Alexa Turner and Jessie Buchholz.

Postl, who was the team leader in kills through the first 10 matches of the season, said it took some getting used to thinking of herself as a senior.

?It?s weird,? Postl said. ?I still feel like we are the little kids of the group. We?ve had to mature and teach everyone to do things.?

With the seniors turning to a teaching role, the team has become close and that chemistry can be seen on the court.

?We are really positive,? Turner said. ?Our camaraderie is really good. We are good friends off the court and that helps on the court.?

That thought was echoed by Buchholz as the team?s top strength.

?Like Alexa said, that camaraderie we have,? Buchholz said. ?Our friendship makes us closer.?

With the three seniors taking charge of the team, Mahr said their influence will be missed next season.

?They are such great leaders and such great girls,? she said. ?The effort that they bring and the mentality they have, not just about volleyball but life in general, is so awesome to see as a coach. I?m going to miss them next year.?

For Mahr, this isn?t necessarily the start she envisioned to her high school coaching career, but she knows that her squad is getting better every day.

?I have felt as though things have gone a little rocky,? Mahr said. ?It took me a while to understand some things about the girls and different things that make them tick, but it?s been a roller coaster. We are on the uphill right now and things are looking good.?

?I feel like once we get that first win, we?ll be winning and winning after that.?

That is the same goal the seniors have in the final half of the season.

?Right now, we go out there and we want a win, but we just have to take that extra step to get there,? Turner said. ?We haven?t had a win yet, but that?s something we really want.?

The Demons will take part in a tournament at Mid-Prairie on Saturday before hosting Keokuk on Tuesday night.