Photo Credits: Tarika Vishwas
At Washington High School, the girls volleyball team is more than just a group of athletes competing in the fall season. Practices and games bring players together, but it’s more than that that brings a team together. What makes the girls volleyball team special is their ability to create a supportive environment where confidence grows and friendships sprout.
Riya Malshe, a senior at Washington, has been playing volleyball for four years, two of which have been on varsity as a middle. She has seen firsthand how the sport can transform from a casual activity into a strong community. She addresses the difference between a group of players and a community by saying, “You meet so many new people that you wouldn’t otherwise, and learn so many different things from them that you wouldn’t necessarily learn from just your academic environment.” For Riya, volleyball has shifted her perspective from prioritizing physical skill to including aspects like friendship, teamwork, and communication. She sees volleyball as an escape from academic pressures, where she can shift her focus and just play. Riya summed up the community feeling best, noting, “We’re there to pick each other up so we can all be successful as a team.”
Tarika Vishwas, also a senior at Washington, has been playing varsity volleyball for four years as an outside hitter and has been the captain of the girls volleyball team for 3 years. As team captain, Tarika faces much more pressure in supporting her teammates and keeping everyone’s mindset on lock. When asked about how volleyball has affected her confidence, Tarika answered, “I think I’ve become more confident in taking risks. Volleyball is a game of points, and if you keep playing it safe, the other team can overpower you. I’ve learned to understand when to make those aggressive plays and take those risks.” Balancing this leadership role with her own performance has pushed her to grow both as an athlete and as a person. Her teammates rely on her for boosting morale, creating plans, and executing plays. That responsibility is huge, to which she says, “I’m not afraid to take accountability and hold my teammates accountable.”
As Riya and Tarika both explained, joining a sports team is like stepping into a family. Underclassmen can seek advice from their upperclass teammates, allowing for a smooth transition. In this case, volleyball offers more than just wins and losses. It builds character, and creates lifelong friendships with everyone on the team. So what makes volleyball truly special at Washington is not only the competition, but the memories it creates along the way. The volleyball team wins together, and they lose together.
Vishakh Pillai takes pride in growing up in the happiest city in America. Although it’s his first year working for the newspaper, he’s determined to see it grow. Vishakh hopes to cover student life and how different people interact with the world. In the meantime, Vishakh often spends time with his dog, Sparky, and goes out to try different food in the Bay. As for the future, he hopes to attend one of the several UCs in SoCal, as he wishes to settle down and enjoy the weather there.