RINER, Va. – Under the VHSL’s Phase 2 guidelines, Auburn High School volleyball practice was pretty quiet.
“We couldn’t touch a ball at all, we had to be 10 feet apart, we were pretty much just conditioning,” junior Anna McGuire said.
Recently, Montgomery County agreed to move forward with the new Phase 3 guidelines, allowing the use of shared equipment.
“I was super excited to actually be able to play even though its just hitting and passing,” junior Allyson Martin said. “It’s still better than hitting against the wall."
While the Eagles are only practicing once a week, the ’back to basics’ approach they had to take has certainly paid off.
“I think it was definitely beneficial because we got to put a hand on the ball and it helped us with contact,” Martin said.
But solo drills can’t teach everything, so the ability to work as a team has been beneficial.
“All the hitters, they hit differently, and some of them I haven’t ever set for,” McGuire said. “So I can set and know how they hit and stuff like that.”
And even though the season won’t start for a few months, the time in the gym on Wednesday nights is invaluable.
“You get to get out and see your friends every day so that’s fun, and we get to touch a volleyball and that’s what we love,” McGuire finished.