HANCEVILLE, Ala. — Hanceville freshman volleyball player Lexi Link completed her first year on the JV volleyball team and she talked about that experience and shared some of what she learned. She had a blast playing with a great group of teammates and learned so much from them.
“It has been a life-changing experience. I had so much fun this past season. I learned that communication skills are key to teamwork. Not only do you have to respect your coaches, you need to respect your teammates and the people around that are trying to help you,” Link said. “It was super fun. I met a great group of girls. We had our ups and downs, but we came together as a team and worked hard. I became friends with people I never thought I would talk to. As a freshman, the upperclassmen were super encouraging. I learned how to be a leader, reliable, encouraging, and confident while playing.”
She learned a lot from coaches Candice Grochowalski and Morgan Hammock this season and she saw so much improvement in her game in her first season. She talked about what she will work on in the offseason to get ready for next year.
“They are super great coaches. They are super encouraging. I learned patience from coach Grochowalski, because she taught me to never rush myself, and take my time on the court. What I learned from coach Hammock is determination, because she taught me that I need to work hard, no matter how many times I fail, and I will succeed if I set my mind to it,” Link said. “I’ve seen a whole lot of improvement in myself. I have improved on my serving and passing the most. I want to work on being able to get the ball where it needs to go.”
Lexi talked about the goals for next season, what made this team special to watch, and her role models in volleyball.
“A goal of mine is to become an all-around player. A goal for the team is to communicate better,” she said. “The group of girls I met this year are truly the sweetest girls. I really look up to Karys Henderson and Eden Clements. They are so encouraging. They showed me what a real leader is, and they are also very helpful.”
She talked about the best advice that she was ever given and how important it is to be a role model for the younger girls. She learned so much about herself and this team this season.
“When times get hard, never give up. Push through it,” she said. “I really hope I encourage the younger girls in some way. It is really important to me to know I can teach someone how to play the sport I love. Something that I’ve learned about myself is that if I work harder each time I fail, eventually, I will be the best that I can be and hopefully, I will succeed. What I have learned about my team is that we work better together when we communicate and trust each other on and off the court. This team is like my family, and they have made me a better player.”
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