For the first time, Collins joined a club volleyball team this year. She enjoyed playing at Broughton so much in the Fall that she did not want to quit and was motivated to get better and better. By chance and thanks to a friend from her Broughton team, she was able to find a spot on the Raleigh Volleyball Club team. She is playing a level up at 16U and actually really enjoying it!
After months of practice with this new team, they played their first tournament in Rocky Mount in January. It was eye opening to say the least! It was in a huge event center lined with 20 or so volleyball courts. It is LOUD in there- whistles are constantly blowing, girls are screaming with every won point, and the fans are cheering loudly. Also- balls are flying wildly in all directions. AND it lasts about 6-7 hours! I know this doesn't sound super fun, but it actually kind of was and it was a good learning experience for Collins.
Next up? Myrtle Beach. This one was tricky because it was over her birthday, and she made it clear that she would rather be skiing on her birthday (like she did last year) than playing volleyball in Myrtle Beach. But alas, she was needed on the court, and we went and she truly bonded with her team and played great.
Did we love spending three nights in a hotel away from the rest of our family? Did I love spending Valentines Day by myself at Broadway at the Beach while Collins joined her teammates for dinner? Did I love spending 7 hours at the courts each day? No, not really. But I did love getting to watch her serve for the first time and roll off 7 points in a row, I loved watching her laugh with her teammates, I loved watching her confidence grow, and I loved spending time with just her eating Hayes Barton cake in the hotel room and watching a RomCom. It was a great volleyball weekend.
But we were SO ready to go home!
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