Del Norte Girls’ Volleyball – Positivity to Fight the Pandemic
Although the COVID- 19 pandemic has had damaging effects on Del Norte, sports, the girl’s volleyball program banded together to ensure a great season.
Nessa Cortez (‘25), a player on the freshman team, says she loves “the family and community environment that we have”. Even though she concedes that wearing masks while playing can prove to be “a communications barrier,” she is confident that “the energy we have and the power that we hold” makes Del Norte athletics a special program to be a part of.
Also on Coach Megan Volger’s freshmen team, Taylor Gottfredson (‘25) agrees that wearing masks “can be hard on some people’s lungs” and “does affect the way… you can hear your coach talking to you, especially during games”. However, Gottfredson praises the positive energy of the program, even with COVID regulations in place, and admires how well everyone has played, “no matter if you are on [the freshman team], JV, or Varsity”.
Varsity player Paige McCartin (‘23) echoes their sentiments, describing how she loves “how supportive everyone is” and how “everyone is friends with everyone”. McCartin shares that “you can always go to someone if you need something, and I can always find comfort in knowing my teammates are there for me”. When asked about the effect the pandemic has had on her season, she reflected on how everyone was more grateful for the chance to play this year, recalling how last year it was all very uncertain “if [they] were even going to have a game or not”. McCartin also shares how Del Norte athletics are very fortunate to get the chance to fundraise for new equipment to train with. She also is grateful for the support that the program receives, describing how “students also always come and cheer for games”.