Volleyball is a sport that demands continual communication and cooperation between the players and the coach, which is what makes volleyball such a thrilling sport to watch. 

Communication is equally as important as skill in volleyball. Players yell “Mine!” “Got it!” or “I go!” all to avoid miscommunication with two players going for a ball at once.

If no one calls the ball, players know that somebody has to get it yet. Players will also call “Serve’s up” when the opposing team is about to serve, and “Outside”, “Middle” or “Right” to predict where the ball is being set up and where the ball will go as the other team hits it. These are all essential parts of communication throughout the team unit, and without communication the team cannot be successful. “If nobody calls the ball and it drops, that is an automatic point for the other team, which really adds up in volleyball,” said Delaney Connor, an Amherst player. 

Within the volleyball season, there are triumphant wins and heart-breaking losses. There are points that are earned, and points that are lost. All-in-all, however, what matters the most in the end is improving as a team. That is how teams get better, not dwelling on mistakes, but learning and moving on to the next point. “My team wins together and loses together, and I always talk about what happened with my teammates afterward no matter what,” said Adelaide Lamar. 

In the end, practice makes perfect and enhances the communication skills of the players as they work toward a common goal – winning. Faith Sopa said the key to success is practice, practice, practice: “The constant practice, it seems like we make more improvement as a team when there is practice every day. It allows us to be able to communicate better,” she said.