After every sports season, all varsity teams lose seniors to graduation. Needing to fill those spots on the varsity team to win a championship, incoming freshmen have increasingly stepped up to fulfill those roles.

Although it might be tough for incoming freshmen to meet the expectations set by past upperclassmen, especially right out of middle school, they have shown a strong drive to win and the skills to prove that they can play against older competition. 

Assistant girls varsity volleyball coach Nav Kaur, who herself played varsity volleyball as a freshman,  noted that the freshmen players on varsity have yet to show any signs of intimidation or anxiety when playing at a high level.

“There are big shoes to fill for sure, however, I don’t think that intimidated them at all. I think it pushed them to fit in a way,” Kaur said. “Their skills and their work ethic speaks for themselves. Their maturity and attitudes fit right in with the team and the team culture.”

With these competitive teams feeling the need to win, freshman Delaney Phillips, who plays on the varsity flag football team, said that need has urged her to play stronger.

”[The players] want to do it again,” Phillips said. “They want to actually compete to win this [championship]. There’s definitely expectations, but it’s more of a team effort expectation and not necessarily individually an expectation.”

Phillips played flag football in middle school but notes the different level she has to play compared to playing in high school.

“The intensity level is just really high, everyone boosts each other up, and [we all] know each other a lot more,” Phillips said.

Kaur said that while they might be scared in the moment, their drive to play the sport has helped them develop to play with the higher competition.

“They might be young freshmen [and have] big shoes to fill, but they have that tenacity,” Kaur said. “They have that ambition, and they have the skill set to prove it and back it up.”

However, there are also feelings of pressure to compete on varsity. Freshman volleyball player Iona Kwon has felt this increased pressure from her teammates. 

“If I make a mistake, then it’s going to be a burden to the team,” Kwon said. “Since the older kids are more used to playing on their level, I need to move up to their level instead of bringing them down.”

While playing on varsity can be stressful, Kwon expressed that team-oriented events have helped her get more comfortable with her new teammates.

“Team bonding really allowed me to become friends with [my teammates] and not be nervous about them,” Kwon said.  “It’s like I’m playing with my friends.”

Philips also mentioned that she has more fun playing her sport because of the higher competition she plays against on varsity.

“I find it really fun because I [am] getting to play with people who are better than me or on the same level.” Phillips said. “It’s challenging and it makes me more competitive.”

By being a freshman on the varsity team, Kwon hopes that this early experience against higher competition will help her play for the varsity volleyball team for all four years.

“I have to become a player that’s beyond that,” Kwon said. “Maybe I’m a freshman right now, but I just hope that through experience, I just get to not just meet the expectations, but go beyond it.”

Photos by Delaney Phillips/Special to Bear Witness