Since the PAVB 2015 volleyball season ended in November, many of the players have been staying active by continuing the sport with a club team. Seniors, Megan Barnett and Lauren Mellor, were coaches for Delaware Juniors and Premier Volleyball of Delaware, respectively, and the juniors and sophomores played for the top teams in the Pennsylvania and Delaware regions. Two of these clubs, East Coast Power in King of Prussia, PA, and Brandywine Volleyball Club in Wilmington, DE, are taking three of Padua’s very own to Indianapolis for the Girls Junior National Championship tournament in June, 2016

Junior, Maddie Judge, is the libero for the EC Power 17s Steel team and the most recent libero for Padua’s volleyball team. Through her experience with Padua volleyball, Maddie says, “I knew going into club that I would have to bring aggressiveness and passion into my game. The teams are a lot tougher and more competitive, but PAVB has taught me to keep pushing and fighting until the end.” In order to get to where she is now, Maddie learned that teamwork is the most important thing and, in a game like volleyball, players may be individually good, but to win you have to work together.

Sophomore, Emma Lucey, is one of the middles for the Brandywine 16 Blackouts team and a middle/setter for Padua. Despite being a middle, Emma continues to hone her setting skills by attending special skills clinics hosted by BVC, better preparing her for the high school season. “Throughout the [regionals] tournament, I had to keep my focus. Pool play was very easy, and my team could’ve easily goofed off and still won our games, but instead we put our attention into the game. I focused on my serves and placing them strategically in order to gain more points.” But as the games got tougher during playoffs, the focus shifted to playing their best, and making every point count.

Sophomore, Emily Jarome, is the power hitter for Padua, known around the state for her outstanding performance in both her freshman and sophomore seasons, and is the outside hitter for the Brandywine Bobcats 17s. Because Emily plays with girls that are a year older than her all  year round, she’s had the chance to learn more about teamwork, “Teamwork goes along with a connection between each player, knowing how to motivate people and support them.” She believes that, through traveling around the country for Nationals,  “you learn how to better evaluate the skills of the other team, and I’ll be able to use this when playing the more challenging teams in the state.”

All three girls agree that the best part of going to Nationals is to get the opportunity to play teams from other regions and across the country. There’s not much to do in Indianapolis, so the girls and their teams will be able to focus and have fun playing with each other soon after school lets out. After nationals end, however, there will only be a few weeks until Maddie, Emma, and Emily are back on the court together again, training and working hard for the PAVB 2016 season.