The Towson varsity volleyball team is off to a great start this year with a 10-1 record through October 15. Led by senior captains Margit Maple, Catherine Della Santina, and Anna Shors, the hard-hitting Generals are primed for a stunning season.

One of the keys to the team’s great success is its dedication to hard work and preparation. This means long practices and grueling workouts almost every day, some of which occur at nighttime because they have to share with gym with badminton.

With all of this hard work and excitement, the squad sometimes just needs a day to relax. Cue the volley-dodgeball practice. According to senior Kira Lauring, “One practice on a Friday every year we have an integrated practice with JV. We play dodgeball and at first have JV vs. Varsity and then we mix it up, so we’ll mix up grade levels or just have it random.”

This day of fun serves up multiple roles. It gives the team a chance to have a fun and relaxing day without having to worry about a taxing workout or an upcoming game. Stress can be a part of high school sports and a practice like this can help to mitigate some stress the players might have.

Another goal of this practice is to give the varsity and junior varsity players a chance to interact. Sometimes varsity and junior varsity teams seem to get stuck in their own bubbles, but by having an integrated practice, the two teams can intermingle and get to know each other better. The junior varsity players will eventually end up playing with the non-graduating varsity players, so a practice like this helps them bond.

Team chemistry is integral to most sports, especially volleyball. The six players on the court must function as one unit in order for the team to be successful. The team, however, seems to be just as close off the court as on the court, which will surely lead to a spike in wins for the Lady Generals.