Raegan Watson is a freshman playing for Briars volleyball JV team. She plays the setter and has done so since she was 10 years old. Watson initially started the sport because her friends were playing.

Watson said, “I liked the idea of playing a sport that not many people commonly play”. Last fall, Watson went to a Briar vs. Independence JV game with her old team, and that is when she knew she wanted to be a part of the same experience. “I thought it would be a fun experience because I love playing volleyball and it would also help me get to know people and the school all together as a freshman” said Watson.

Coming to tryouts, Watson had certain goals that she wanted to achieve. Watson knew she wanted to make a team no matter what it was. The one that stood out to her the most was making JV. Motivation for her during the week of tryouts was people at the JV level, as well as people that were a few years older than her. Watson was also motivated by her friends because she wanted to play with them. “I would’ve been excited no matter what team I made,” Watson says.

Watson loved the idea of being able to play a setter because she was able to touch the ball on almost every play. Another reason this became an interest of hers is because not many people like to play as a setter.

If setter wasn’t something Watson would be interested in, she’d play as a libero (defense) “I think it would be fun to dive on the floor, be the passer on the team and also to run around to try to get stray balls that people either missed or it was just a hard serve/hit” Watson states.

Watson thinks the option for trying out for Varsity is a great next step when she’s ready, but she is comfortable where she is right now on JV. Watson already thinks making JV as a freshman is a great accomplishment. Watson loves her current JV coach and doesn’t think she is ready for that sort of stress yet of making Varsity. Watson has time until the next tryouts in the fall of next year, but she might change her mind by then.

The season recently came to an end on October 18th. Watson states “The best part of the season was getting to practice every day with my team!” Watson enjoyed all of the after school games and gathering around with her team during huddles. “My favorite was all the inside jokes that we have now from our huddles and practices that if anyone heard what we said, they would think we were crazy.”