Padua Academy Homecoming 2013 games did not disappoint. Two fall sports games took place this weekend- field hockey and volleyball. Not only did both sports do their very best talent wise, but also with spirit.

The first game of the weekend was field hockey on Friday night. The game took place at Forbes Field, only about ten minutes away from Padua Academy. The players were greeted by a loud crowd filled with parents, students, faculty and staff, and the Padua Academy volleyball team. The first to come out was the Varsity. Varsity gave St. Elizabeth’s a wake up call. All the players played their part, as they used their hearts and minds to win a big game. Caitlin Cook, one of the captains in the class of 2014, tells, “I think the team has been developing great! We have been working hard to reach our goal, which is making it into the state tournament with a good seeding. We are taking it one game at a time and focusing on doing the little things first. The team spirit has been great, we have a great group of girls that work really well together and have the desire to win.” The score was two zero as a final result, keeping their impressive record. Junior varsity also gave St. Elizabeth’s a tough game. The game entire game was very close, as the crowd was roaring with excitement. After both games, there was a tailgate which included fruit, chicken, pizza, pasta, and homemade goods. There were also some games to play, which many children, parents, and players loved, such as soccer, Frisbee, and a basket toss. All of the people enjoyed the games and everyone was excited for what the next day was to bring.

On Saturday afternoon, the volleyball reining state champions were scheduled to play at Padua Academy. First came the junior varsity team at 12p.m. JV has been working hard on keeping their undefeated title and did not disappoint on Saturday. St. Elizabeth’s wasn’t expecting what Padua gave them. The highly- energized team quickly beat them two out of three games. Next, Ms. Disabatino’s team was up to the plate. The varsity came out fast with passion and cheer. They won three out of five games with the scores of twenty-five to fifteen, twenty- five to eleven, and twenty- five to six. The team is bound to keep improving as Sarah Cushing, one of the PAVB captains and a member of the class of 2014, exclaims, “The spirit of the team is what makes this game so much fun. Last year was a different group of girls, so we needed to find that new spark for this group. We always have plenty of enthusiasm for each other on the court, but we needed that gel off the court as well. So we spend our flex time together in study hall, have inside jokes, play little games in Mrs. Holladay’s room before each match to relax, went to a field hockey game to support our fellow athletes, and had a team sleep over. These little things we did have definitely helped us define the amazing spirit and team camaraderie for 2013 PAVB! I wouldn’t want to spend my last season as a panda with anyone else!”. The crowd was very helpful in keeping the girls on their toes and encouraging them the whole way through.

Homecoming 2013 was a great way to continue the fall season sports. As the back of the homecoming shirts say, “Let the games begin!”