Monday, Sept. 16, the Mercer Island Volleyball team played against the Issaquah Eagles, unfortunately losing the game but building their teamwork and confidence going forward into their season.

“Our main goal for this game was to focus on our energy and not caring about the score,” starting player and senior captain Nora Prophater said. “Even though we didn’t win, it was a close match, with each set a difference of only a couple points.”

The score reached a maximum difference of 12 points, with the Islanders down 12-24 in the first set, but this did not deter the team. They continued pushing forward for more points throughout the game, with notable plays from June Zalewska scoring multiple points for the team.

This year, the volleyball team is no longer only competing against other teams in their division. This makes the competition much more difficult, providing the team with a challenging environment which gives them a lot of areas to focus on improving in a limited amount of time. “We are playing harder teams but this is preparing us more for our long-run goal which is making it to State,” Prophater said. Playing against relatively harder teams will help the team be able to grow exponentially.

The team is working on their communication skills while playing as well as their energy on the court. “We have been working on this by practicing mindfulness before our games and after practice every day,” Prophater said. “We also have done team bondings to make the team connection even stronger. We have so much potential on this team and I can see us going far if we truly put in the work. I do believe we are getting better with our communication and energy throughout the season so far, and this is just the beginning!”

Be sure to show up today, Sept. 18 at 7:00pm for a game at Bothell High School!