Caleb Riordan | Ameritime Sports Writer
The Hillsboro Hawks Varsity Volleyball team is approaching a brand new season. They finished last year 16-7 and were crowned District Champions as well as large school JCAA Conference Champions.
The Hawks are coming off of a very successful season, and the expectations this season are to get better with each and every game.
“We want to learn and compete in games rather than focus on wins and losses,” new Head Coach Carli Beckett said. “Once we get used to focusing on competing, the goal is to train consistency and create depth on our bench.”
The Hawks had an experienced group of Seniors last season that graduated and moved on from Hillsboro. Sophia Marchetti, Mackenzie Baker, Evie Roland and Bella Lewis were all essential parts of Hillsboro’s core and a big reason for their success last year.
However, the Hawks do return some key pieces as well. Maya Wright, Bella Uzzle and Sofia Fischer all will lead the charge for Hillsboro this season. Phoenix Dean and Chastity Lucas should fill a larger role than they did prior to this year as well.
Beckett mentioned the resilience of this group as one of their main strengths, saying, “This group is able to play through mistakes and reset after a rally naturally. We always have room for improvement, but the starting point is good.”
She also mentioned that she wants to focus on the execution within games, and staying locked in on the main goal… winning.
“We’re focusing on playing the game and not performing the game,” Beckett said. “There is a difference!”
This team has new expectations based on their previous successful season. They want to establish a culture of not only learning, but getting better each and every game. The wins will come as a result, so be on the lookout for this new crop of Hawks to make some noise on the court this season.
