The VHS Girls Varsity Volleyball Team recently wrapped up another amazing season, taking home the title of sectional champions and making it to the state finals.  They were led again this year by senior Hunter Coppola who posted 226 kills, 77 blocks, and 117 digs.  One can’t help but wonder what it’s like to live the life of a high-achieving student athlete amongst the pressures of high school. To find out more, we decided to ask Hunter about her volleyball journey throughout high school.

Many students at VHS have experienced the excitement of a girls volleyball game at the high school and know a lot about what it’s like to be a varsity athlete at VHS. However, what many don’t know is the outside commitment that dedicated athletes such as Hunter make to club teams to further their skills as an athlete. For her, the commitment to her club team in New York is demanding, with practices 5-6 days a week for 3-4 hours daily and workouts on the off days.  But she says it has been equally as rewarding.

This past summer, Hunter had the incredible opportunity to travel to Finland with her club team to play with the Finnish national team and participate in a tournament in Croatia with 30 teams from around the world. She raves about the experience, explaining that “playing with such an amazing team as the Finland national team, then getting to bond with them and my team by going to a music festival and hanging out has to be one of my favorite memories from playing volleyball.”

Hunter’s club team has provided her with some of her most cherished memories of the sport while simultaneously providing an opportunity to form relationships with the girls on her team while competing with other high level players.

Playing a sport with such passion and dedication as Hunter does does not come without motivation. She says her motivation to play is primarily intrinsic: “My inspiration as a volleyball player is being the best player that I can be and being the best teammate I can be on and off the court.”

Hunter  is widely recognized as an extremely talented player, but when did she recognize her abilities herself? “I first realized how good I was when I was recruited to my current club. They pick the best girls in the tri-state area and it was an honor to be asked to join the club.” 

Although extremely exciting, the high school season is somewhat of a struggle for Hunter:

“Being a middle for the high school team when I have been playing outside all year in club was one of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to overcome in my volleyball career,” she says. Though it was hard to overcome, Hunter has gained a wider range of playing abilities from the experience and still enjoys the high school season and the friendships she has made because of it. “I like how it brings me to closer to the underclassmen and seniors.”

Hunter plans to continue her volleyball career in college and is a prime example of how dedication to sports and school creates a committed and hard-working individual in all aspects of life.