The Merrillville Pirates women’s volleyball team has had an up and down season but hopes to turn things around for this week’s Sectional game Thursday against Lake Central.
“I feel we would win more games if everyone pushed through to the end. We usually start games off strong then towards the end of the game as a whole we don’t push through to win.” Senior Raven Edwards said.
Edwards is a huge part of the team and contributes with a number of kills and digs each game, including 9 kills and 8 digs in the final regular-season game against Chesterton.
“My goal for the remainder of the season is to work even harder and get better stats each game. Also be a better captain for my team and pick my teammates up more,” she said.
The team finished the regular season with a 7-16 record.
“I feel like my final season isn’t going in the right direction because of how I started it mentally,” Edwards said. “I wasn’t having fun on the court, and I was thinking too hard. Volleyball is mostly a mental sport and I was missing that key aspect in my game causing me to make more mistakes than usual.”
Edwards and the other seniors also are working with their younger teammates so they can reach their potential.
“We push the younger players really hard in practice. We remind them that you practice how you play and we encourage them to try new things,” Edwards said.
Despite the losses, Edwards, who is hoping to continue playing in college, has learned some valuable lessons this season.
“What I’ve learned the most is that you have to work hard for everything. Nothing gets handed to you. Hard work gets you far, and extra work you put in will show on game day,” she said.