Seniors Lilly Gerard and Lisa Reece were voted as co-captains for the girls’ Radford volleyball team the Fall 2024-2025 season. Both seniors were on the varsity team this past year for 2023-2024. They took their experience from being on the team last year and incorporated that into how they wanted and continue to want to lead their team.

“As a captain and not as a player I think I struggle with bringing my team together and keep them pushing,” said Reece, describing her struggles when it comes to being a captain.

Reece said that it can be a challenge to bring the team together. No matter how badly it may seem like everyone wants to get points and wins everyone has their own feelings and can be in their own head about how they play and the team as a whole but what they need to put more effort in is “separate[ing] their emotions from the court.”

Reece does her best to bring the energy up on court by cheering the team on every time they win a point and when the other Radford teams (junior varsity and white) show the girls that people are rooting for them. She found that by keeping her teammates spirits up motivates them to want to do their best and to continue on scoring points and winning games throughout the season.

“Being a constant leader/example and always being the ‘strong’ ones mentally”, is Gerard’s response to one of her struggles as captain.

Although Gerard’s team doesn’t necessarily believe in captains there are people on the team that the others look up to. Gerard feels that they (herself and Reece; varsity captains) are the ones leading the team and giving the girls people to look up to and come to when in need no matter how little or big it may be. With this position and being held in such high regard they are constantly having to be leaders and stay in that mindset and not just for their team specifically but for the program as a whole. Though being in a position like this has its rewards they are constantly aware of their own actions and how it may reflect on the team and make them look. She also says that as captains they not only have to lead their team but they need to have a strong mentality, be tough and constantly being the ones on the team to have positive energy no matter the circumstances, can be exhausting to keep up.

Reece and Gerard use their many strengths as well as weaknesses in order to make themselves into better teammates as well as better captains.

“A good mindset, attitude, and effort are the only things that are needed to help you reach your goal,” said Gerard to people who want to try at new things and put themselves out there more especially when it comes to sports, such as volleyball.