Lying flat on their stomachs, the women’s varsity volleyball team smacks the floor of the gym – their hands pulsing up and down in a rush of noise. The strong sound ricochets off the walls of the gym followed by an immediate silence.

Then comes the sound of their collective voice as they cry, “JC!”

The women’s varsity volleyball team is in its third season as IAAM champions.  With a winning record
of 8-1, the team has its eye on championships.

“It’s tough to compare [seasons] year to year,” said Cullison.  “I’d like us to compete in the A conference.”

As it stands, JC is ranked first in the B conference. The team has played against A conference teams such as St. Paul’s and lost, but that it hasn’t stopped their hopes of moving up to A conference next season.

“We try to make practice more intense than what we see in a match,” Cullison said about the team approach to preparing for games.

Junior Rosie Sedney describes the team as, “winning like Charlie Sheen,” but, they still have to overcome little mistakes.  Co-captain senior Heather Dunn explains that poorly demonstrated skills, like passing the ball, can hold a team back.

Co-captain senior Alissa Buettner echoes this mentality. “We try to have fun while working hard,” Buettner said.

The team is no stranger to winning, but win or lose the team ends each game on a positive note.  After
every game, the team stands in a circle and each player points out something that another player did well.

“This is my 25th year coaching here and I love it more and more,” said Cullison.

Chioma Iheoma is an A&E Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.