With a powerful and dedicated team, Lambert Volleyball is running into their new season, hoping to be better than ever and push their limits from years past.
Outside hitter Siri Gudapati is excited to dive right into the season with region and state games since they are coming off of successful offseason practices.
“So far we’ve had our Class Two region games,” Gudapati said. “We also had our preseason in the summer and we started practicing around June.”
Consistent team practices are crucial for the sport, and the team works hard to ensure connectivity and unity throughout the team.
Sophomore Bella Popescu is new to the varsity team this year but thinks that the team blends together perfectly. She believes that this bond grows inside and outside of volleyball from practices and games to group chats and team bonding events.
“We hang out a lot, we’re always texting and we have our Instagram page,” Bella said. “We’re just always keeping in contact with each other and laughing with each other…we talk at school and the locker room too.”
This strong bond makes events and games even more fun, with the most anticipated being Senior Night at North Atlanta.
“It’s a home game, it’s a regional game, it’s usually a game that you win,” Bella said. “It’s like a homecoming game but for volleyball.”
Players also have their own goals and ambitions for themselves and the team to grow and be better than before.
Junior Sofia Cortes is hoping that the team can get a spot in the playoffs and also hopes to reach a milestone in her volleyball career as a setter.
“Personally, I would like to reach 1000 assists this season,” Cortes said. “And as a team, I just want our team to become the best version of ourselves.”
The team has many new players this season, and starting from scratch can be very hard for the team in general. Senior Francesca Popescu hopes to bridge that gap and build a stronger bond, allowing her to set an example for her younger teammates and leave behind her own legacy.
“I hope that everyone remembers my energy,” Francesca said. “I hope that they can say that I led with positivity and that I was a kind friend and person but fierce and commanding on the court.”
As Francesca, Bella, Gudapati and Cortes march into the new season alongside their team, Lambert cheers them on this season to truly become the best version of themselves.mira
